HAVEL & PARTNERS successfully represented in litigation the US company GoDaddy Inc., one of the largest global domain registration platforms. GoDaddy Inc. was sued by an influential businessman with connections to Russia, seeking the removal of investigative internet articles. He also demanded financial compensation.  

The team of litigation experts, headed by partner Jan Šturm and senior associates Jan Králíček and Dalibor Slavík, argued in the Czech courts on behalf of GoDaddy Inc. that the client could not directly interfere with the content of the website and the articles posted there. This reasoning was also supported by an expert opinion on cybernetics and computer technology. The team also argued for freedom of speech and the importance of journalistic work in a democratic society. The courts eventually dismissed the lawsuit against GoDaddy Inc. in its entirety.

“This legal case was unique in terms of its technical complexity, as it was necessary to resolve and prove to the courts what entities were involved in the functioning of the Internet or specific websites, and who has the ability to interfere with the websites at all. The court’s decision in this case has the nature of a precedent because it defines the liability for content on the Internet of domain registrars and, by inference to some extent, also web hosting providers. We appreciate that the courts took a responsible and careful approach to this crucial issue and believe that the decision will contribute to the cultivation of the legal environment in the Czech Republic,” partner Jan Šturm explains. The GoDaddy Group currently has more than 21 million customers worldwide and administers over 84 million domain names. It employs approximately 7,000 employees.