Yelp may have just saved the internet — but the court ruling in its favor is a dangerous muddle

It's being held as a landmark ruling for free speech on the internet, and a ringing endorsement of what's been called "the most important law on the internet."

But a California Supreme Court decision protecting the refusal of the online review site Yelp to remove several postings deemed to have defamed a San Francisco lawyer may have left too many questions about the rights and responsibilities of online platforms unresolved.

That's the view of Eric Goldman, an expert on technology and marketing law at Santa Clara University who has followed the case closely during the two years it has meandered through state courts.