-3character of those statements is not in dispute. Nor is any libel defence such as privilege or fair comment relevant. What it falls to the Court to consider is the extent to which the providers of an internet discussion platform may be held liable for the posting of defamatory statements by its users. In particular, issues arise as to whether and to what extent such platform providers are in law to be regarded as publishers of the defamatory postings and as to whether the common law defence of innocent dissemination is applicable. A. 4. The actions and the defamatory statements The statements complained of were posted on the forum in three batches and resulted in two actions being brought against the respondents.1 The first action was brought by Oriental Press Group Limited and Oriental Daily Publisher Limited, the latter company being the registered proprietor, publisher and printer of a popular Chinese daily newspaper known as the “Oriental Daily News”. The former is a publicly listed company which owns the latter. That action is brought against Fevaworks Solutions Limited. 5. Those three companies are also parties to the second action which involves as additional plaintiffs The Sun News Publisher Limited and Mr Ma Ching Kwan. The Sun News Publisher Limited is the registered proprietor, publisher and printer of “The Sun”, another popular Chinese daily within the Oriental group. Mr Ma is the honorary chairman of the listed company. The second action is brought both against Fevaworks Solutions Limited and Alive! Media & Communications Limited, sued jointly as the providers, administrators and managers of the relevant website. I shall refer to the plaintiffs and defendants in the two actions collectively as the appellants and the respondents respectively. 1 A third action has been stayed pending the outcome of these proceedings.