Finnish youth fined for putting teacher on YouTube

HELSINKI, Aug 24 (Reuters) A Finnish court ruled against a 15-year-old student in a libel case today after he posted a clip of his teacher on YouTube, ordering the youth to pay 800 euros in damages and a 90 euro fine.

The student had filmed his teacher singing at the school party last May and put the clip on YouTube with English subtitles under the headline ''Karaoke of the mental hospital.'' The teacher took the boy to court and asked for 2,000 euros in damages.

This is the first time a Finnish court has found against someone based on a video clip published on the Internet.

The court said it had ordered reduced damages because the defendant was under 18 years of age and he had removed the clip from the Internet within two weeks at the request of the school's headmaster.

REUTERS AK BST0040