text_combined: r hettinga rahshipwrightcom begin forwarded text rahphilodoxcom subject internet defamation suit ends defense verdict date mon 5 aug 2002 100841 0400 edt somebody internet defamation suit ends defense verdict httpwwwlawcomservletcontentserverpagenameopenmarketxcelerateviewclawarticlecid1028320303259tlawarticletech john council texas lawyer 08052002 one first trials country address internet defamation dallas county texas jury last week rejected 700 million suit internet company claimed harmed negative electronic messages posted employee competing company zixit dallas internet company filed zixit corp v visa international et al 1999 alleging harmed paul guthrie vice president visa zixit alleged suit guthrie posted 400 anonymous messages many negative zixit yahoo finance zixit internet message board causing zixits stock price drop suit also alleged postings destroyed companys ability market zixcharge internet transaction authorization system allows consumers make purchases without revealing credit card numbers merchants visa similar internet payment system zixit alleged postings caused stock price plummet product successful company believed would worth 1 billion according lawyers involved case july 31 jury judge merrill hartmans 192nd district court found zixits product harmed postings neal manne kenneth mcneil lawyers houstons susman godfrey represented zixit trial return calls comment press time company hasnt made decision appeal says cindy lawrence zixit spokeswoman outcome lawsuit doesnt effect future products services emessaging getting graded visas lawyers alleged guthrie acted right free speech guthries internet postings effect zixits stock guthrie since left visa lawyers company say guthrie defendant case however interests case represented todd noonan attorney sacramento califs stevens oconnell noonan recovering surgery last week unavailable comment think people believe whether succeed fail people internet companies didnt succeed sorts reasons says jeff tillotson partner dallas lynn tillotson pinker defended visa trial zixits case hard sell jury especially reality economy tillotson says everyone knows stock market fallen trouble internet companies think jury took account tillotson says lessons learned internet defamation trial says mike lynn also represented visa trial even though message boards considered protected form free speech freedom wont prevent company dragged court employee blasts another company internet lynn says company responsible employee posts message board lynn says courts said youre entitled go jury determine whether damages result law odd mature damage theories mature nature case also added interesting twist trial tillotson says many posted messages board attended trial posted comments daily proceedings throughout threeweek trial says apparent everyone many people posted message boards watching trial tillotson says really wild lawyers felt like graded end forwarded text r hettinga internet bearer underwriting corporation 44 farquhar street boston 02131 usa however may deserve respect usefulness antiquity predicting end world found agreeable experience edward gibbon decline fall roman empire httpxentcommailmanlistinfofork mon 5 aug 2002 132255 0400 internet defamation suit ends defense verdict