Webmasters scored another victory in the court system recently when a Vermont judge tossed out a defamation lawsuit brought by a woman upset by comments made about her by a third party commentator.

Superior Court Judge David Howard upheld provisions set forth under section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, enacted by the US Congress in 1996, which protects providers of interactive computer services from liability for content posted by third parties.

A Fair Housing dispute could have windfall consequences when it comes to online services. Though the Fair Housing Council’s courtroom victory is technical and largely semantic, the ruling, as it stands, finds that Roommate.com is liable for third-party information.

The idea that MySpace was responsible for an offline sexual assault fell on deaf judicial ears as a Texas judge dismisses a $30 million lawsuit filed by the parents of a 13-year-old girl.

The drama occurred last spring after a Texas girl, who misrepresented herself as a 14-year-old (the minimum age to use MySpace), arranged to meet 19-year-old Pete Solis, who also lied about his age, near the girl’s home. Solis was later arrested and charged with sexual assault.