An Indian court has terminated proceedings against Microsoft in a case involving complaints that Internet companies are not taking responsibility for user-posted content. The case centers around regulations put into effect in 2011 that make web hosts responsible for the content uploaded by their users, with journalist Vinay Rai complaining that Microsoft, Facebook, Google, and nine other services wilfully host material that "seeks to create enmity, hatred and communal violence."

The web firms argue that India's own Information Technology Act should protect them from liability where user-posted material is involved, but both Facebook and Google have previously removed content that has been flagged. Rai claims the companies involved have failed to remove content within 36 hours of being notified, an Indian regulation. Similar proceedings against Yahoo were dropped recently, while Google and Facebook will petition the court on May 3rd to attempt to have the case terminated too. Microsoft filed for rejection of the suit, arguing "that it disclosed no cause of action against Microsoft." The case will resume again on May 23rd, by which time Facebook and Google may no longer be involved.