Internet giants eye cheerleader's defamation suit

CINCINNATI (AP) — An appeals court is considering whether an Arizona-based gossip website should have been allowed to be sued for defamation by a former Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader convicted of having sex with a teenager.

Attorneys for both sides argued their case today before the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. The court could rule any time.

Internet giants like Google and Facebook are watching the case to see how it may affect their immunity from many types of lawsuits under a federal Internet law passed in 1996.

In December 2012, former Bengals cheerleader Sarah Jones sued Nik Richie, the owner of thedirty.com, over posts about her sex life.

In July, a jury found that Richie had acted with malice or reckless disregard, and Jones was awarded $338,000.