A hostel owner in Taitung City was last week ordered to pay NT$30,000 (US$1,071) in compensation after he threatened political pundit Wang Ruei-deh (王瑞德) with assault for allegedly calling on his online followers to attack him.
Wang was seeking damages of NT$1 million over a dispute stemming from an online comment Pisces Youth Hostel owner Lin Ho-yi (林和誼) made after the deadly crash of a Taroko Express train on April 2 last year.
Lin wrote on Facebook that the derailment was “caused by Taiwan Railways Administration trolls,” sparking public anger and a subsequent media investigation that found Lin was operating the hostel illegally.
Photo: Wang Ting-fu, Taipei Times
On a trip to Taitung on April 5, Wang, in a livestream, called for support for a “legal hostel” to protect the rights of travelers.
Wang said that after Lin heard his comment on Facebook, the hostel owner posted a slew of allegations on Wang’s Facebook fanpage, including that he had an illicit relationship with a former housekeeper and had enlisted a “cyberarmy” to attack people in Taitung.
Lin also insinuated that Wang was working with a group of hostel owners and a female New Power Party member to trap and extort him, the lawsuit said.
In addition, Wang claimed damages for infringement of his portrait rights and copyright after Lin posted Wang’s video on his own YouTube page.
On June 16, Lin said on Facebook that he was waiting outside the Sanlih Entertainment Television building in Taipei to assault Wang, and included a photograph of the building’s exterior, the lawsuit said.
In his defense, Lin accused Wang of spreading misinformation that led his “cyberarmy” to attack him.
Saying that he was only a pawn, Lin asked who gave Wang the power to order the media to drive him “to the brink of extinction,” causing his followers to harass him and his family.
The New Taipei District Court ruled that most cases accusing someone of manipulating their online followers or directing an Internet trend have an unfavorable outcome for the party making the claim.
Since Lin could not produce any evidence, he would face a similar judgement, the court said.
However, as reposting Wang’s video does constitute an infringement of his copyright and the threat of assault caused mental distress, the judges found Lin guilty and ordered him to pay NT$30,000 in damages.
The ruling can be appealed.
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