(Photo by Aaron Roberts)
Journalists brought so many questions to the legal panel, the session lasted an extra 15 minutes.
Most of the conversation focused on law in America and Canada, the countries of the panelists.
Here are a few questions they tackled:
Should Web sites edit comments from users?
Edit, just don't line edit, panelists said. American law says Web sites are not responsible for content provided by a third party and can take down comments, panelist Barbara Wall said.
"That's the law, and it's been very liberally interpreted by the courts," said Wall, vice president and general counsel for Gannett.
But, she added, news organizations should be careful not to change a comment so much it becomes their own. The media is still responsible for the content it produces.
What should Web sites do about copyrighted content posted by users?
American news organizations can protect themselves under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act by registering with the U.S. Copyright Office. The organizations also should provide a way in their terms of service for people to contact them when copyright has been violated, Wall said.
Panelists emphasized that when people do contact them, Web sites must be sure to take down the copyrighted material immediately.
What constitutes publication in the online world?
In the United States, something is published online not when it's posted there, but when it's downloaded, said Stuart Karle, general counsel for the Wall Street Journal.
Dan Henry, counsel for CBC, said the same is true in Canada.
What legal issues will journalists face in the near future?
Karle predicted more legal wrangling over privacy.
"I think the world is losing its mind over privacy," he said.
Wall agreed. She also forecast a surge of subpoenas over the next few years to find out the identity of posters in certain situations.
-- Raechal Leone