Yahoo! India dropped from objectionable content lawsuit

This one seemed to be in the offing, since a while now; especially after talks surrounding Yahoo! India being an exception to the lawsuit for it not being a social networking website, unlike the others accused. Reports now confirm that Yahoo! India has been let off the objectionable content lawsuit, post a Delhi court ruling, yesterday. The Administrative Civil Judge Praveen Singh, who has been presiding over the court proceedings not only dismissed all allegations against the popular e-mail and instant messaging service in the country, but also fined the petitioner, Mufti Aijas Arshad Qasmi a sum of Rs.5,000 for having dragged Yahoo! India into the lawsuit, along with the other social networking websites. The court also found that Yahoo! India was being accused, without Qasmi providing any cause of action against them. After Microsoft India's stunning exit from the lawsuit, less than a week ago, Yahoo! India's omission in this case is the next major update to the ongoing objectionable content lawsuit. 

Freed.. 

Right since the beginning of the lawsuit, Yahoo! India's lawyer, Arvind Nigam had been trying to get Yahoo! India off the lawsuit hook; and quite rightly so. He claimed that Yahoo! was essentially an e-mail and instant messaging service provider, and not a social networking site and hence, was wrongly accused. He had added that the no objectionable content had been downloaded off Yahoo! India. Microsoft India, too, made an exit, last week after the court found that Microsoft India did not offer social networking services. The judge, while acquitting Microsoft India of the charges, stated that, "...It is a company engaged in development and sale of softwares and computing solutions etc. It is not a website which provides a platform to the people where they can interact with each other and post or publish their views on various issues or subjects." Back then, too, Qasmi was asked to pay a fine of Rs.5,000 to Microsoft India for having involved it in the lawsuit.

With both Microsoft India and Yahoo! India having now made an exit, the battle has narrowed down for others accused, like Facebook India, Google India Pvt Ltd, Google Orkut, Youtube, Blogspot, Zombie Time, Exboii, Boardreader, IMC India, My Lot, Shyni Blog and Topix.

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