A Greek court has handed down a six-month sentence to a man for using a Facebook laughing emoticon underneath a post advertising a business in the city of Volos.
The court ruled last week that the emoticon was offensive and constituted defamation. The man was freed on bail.
A female professional who was advertizing her business on Facebook brought the case to court.
According to the lawsuit, she claimed that the ironic emoticon was slanderous and undermined her reputation.
The lawyer representing the businesswoman said that it was the first such decision issued by a court in the city.
He added that the case establishes a legal precedent, and it has already attracted interest in Greek and international legal journals.
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