from one country to another, an Indian court‟s perception of public interest
ought not to bind other jurisdictions. He further submits that the right of
freedom of speech and expression in India ought to be at least as much as in
the U.S., and the principles of territoriality ought to be applicable in these
cases. A decision of the Sao Paulo State Court of Appeal, Brazil in Twitter
Brasil Rede de Infromacao Ltda v. Tim Cellular S/A, Interlocutory Appeal
No. 2055830-58.2016.8.26.0000 is relied upon in support of the principle of
territoriality. Reliance is also placed on an article written by Marc P. Epstein
published in the Fordham Law Review titled Comity Concerns Are No Joke:
Recognition of Foreign Judgments Under Dormant Foreign Affairs
Preemption3 which severely criticized what was termed as “libel tourism.”
Further reliance is also placed on a publication by Alex Mills titled “The
Law Applicable to Cross-Border Defamation on Social Media: Whose law
governs free speech in ‗Facebookistan4‘ published in the Journal of Media
Law, wherein the author raises the question as to whose laws govern free
speech on social media platforms. It is argued that if orders can be passed by
national Courts which would result in global removal of content, then law of
free speech on internet would be reduced to the lowest common
denominator.
13.
Mr. Tripathi also cites the order of this Court dated 14th January, 2019
in Sasikala Pushpa v. Facebook & Ors. CS (OS) 510/2016 and order dated
25th April, 2019 passed by this Court in Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. v Facebook
Inc. & Ors. CS (OS)449/2018.
3
Marc P. Epstein, Comity Concerns Are No Joke: Recognition of Foreign Judgments Under Dormant
Foreign Affairs Preemption, 82 Fordham Law Review 2317 (2014)
4
Alex Mills, The Law Applicable to Cross-Border Defamation on Social Media: Whose law governs free
speech in ‗Facebookistan‘, Journal of Media Law 7 (2015) 1-35
CS (OS) 27/2019
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