It was the bipartisan duo of then-Representatives Wyden and Cox who, more than 15 years ago, drafted the seminal law (now known as Section 230) that enabled Internet innovation to flourish by establishing strong liability protections for the Internet's intermediaries.
But then, as the court turns that plausible but otherwise largely undefended intuition into a strong rule against liability, one arrives at a final "this is just conservative orthodoxy" stage.
Legal scholars say that while Ford and other sport utility makers have a strong legal case, liability law can evolve quickly in response to shifts in public sentiment, as shown by recent litigation against tobacco companies and gun makers.
Consumer advocacy groups have rightly advised Congress to adopt the consumer protections laid out in both bills — while adopting the stronger liability provision of the Senate version.
The results of our paper imply that stronger liability regimes may be counter-productive for overall welfare and the creditors' payoff if higher liability risks are not compensated by non-monetary benefits.
They propose an alternative explanation of our results, namely, that parents with a high education level would have better controlled diabetes, leading to lesser complications during pregnancy, which, in turn, would lead to stronger liability for autoimmunity in the offspring.
So long as its employees are trained about impermissible behavior and the recourse that victims can take, an employer will have a strong legal defense against liability if a victim of harassment by a co-worker sues, employment lawyers say.
Toyota, with cash to burn (and nothing like GM's retired-worker liabilities), has a strong fuel-cell program but believes that 30 years from now all cars will run on hybrids-Toyota's technological strength.
But while retail experts say Kmart's lack of a strong image is its single biggest liability, Mr. Adamson seemed to be in no hurry to define a new identity for the retailer yesterday, saying instead that his focus would first be on basics, like clean stores, and creating more stability for the 225,000 remaining workers.
