Internet giants seek full trial over defamatory video

A decision that a defamatory YouTube video be permanently removed from the internet should only be arrived at after a full trial of the matter, a High Court judge was told yesterday.

It was a fundamental legal principle that such a far- reaching order should not be the subject of an injunction hearing but of a full High Court case which would establish the definitive position on the matter, said Michael Howard SC, for Google and YouTube.

He was speaking during an application by his clients for a stay, pending appeal, on an injunction granted last month that steps be taken to permanently remove a video falsely accusing a student of taxi fare evasion.