Court order to remove YouTube video put on hold

A High Court order to permanently remove a YouTube video clip falsely accusing a student of taxi-fare evasion has been put on hold pending an appeal.

The student last May won a court order requiring steps should be taken by Google, Facebook and YouTube to permanently remove the video which Mr Justice Michael Peart had found was defamatory as the student was not the person in it.

The judge gave the internet giants a month for their experts and experts for the student to come up with reports on how to remove it permanently on a worldwide basis. It was still accessible from abroad, the court heard.

The internet companies asked the judge for a stay on his order, pending appeal, claiming it was legally impermissible but lawyers for the student opposed the stay.

Mr Justice Peart said yesterday he was prepared to grant a stay, pending appeal. This was an unusual case with a novel point of law which would no doubt come before the courts again given the use of social networking sites, he said.

Interim orders preventing republishing of the clip must remain in place until the appeal is heard, the judge added. The full hearing of the student’s action for damages and other orders has yet to be heard.