ANKARA
A French court has agreed to hear a case against social media giant Facebook for blocking publication of the work of a famous French artist.
In February 2011, a French university professor – identified only by the name “Frederic” – tried to publish an image by 19th century French artist Gustave Courbet on his Facebook account.
The painting, entitled "Origin of the World," depicts the female sex.
Facebook refused to allow Frederic to publish the image, and the professor has successfully taken the social media giant to court.
The court has already ruled on one issue: Facebook may not enforce a clause in its user contract which would place any legal dispute under the jurisdiction of the California courts.
The court will go on to hear the case for and against publication of the image.
The ruling marks an important precedent in French law: a lawyer for “Frederic” said on Thursday that Facebook users will be able to air issues with the company in local tribunals.
The ruling may also permit the French authorities to proceed against Facebook postings which violate French law against anti-Semitism or terrorism, the lawyer added.
