Bloggers face an increase in libel suits

[NVMojo]

10/4/2006 1:12:27 PM, by Jacqui Cheng


What you say on your blog or in an online forum could get you sued for libel, and you might not be ready for it. Over 50 libel lawsuits have been filed in the last two years against those venting their thoughts online, with one lawsuit being successful and resulting in the blogger paying a fine of $50,000.

The lawsuits so far run the gamut from bloggers being sued over public gossip about intimate events, to warning others not to date certain people, to unauthorized photos posted on MySpace, to religious criticism, and more.

Oftentimes the victims say that the accusations are false and that the spread of such information on the Internet is hurting their careers and reputations, such as in the case of lawyer Todd Hollis. As we reported last June, Hollis is suing the owner of DontDateHimGirl.com, as well as seven other women who have posted to the site, over what he claims are lies about his sexual orientation, STD status, and more. When searching for his name on the Internet, it's certainly hard to find any other information on him besides whether or not he has herpes. Few of us would want that attached to our names as the first hit on Google.

more...

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061004-7902.html

[ManiacJoe]

1. Some folks seem to forget that the laws against

libel and slander apply to everyone, especially to those who draw attention to themselves by publishing things on the internet or in the print media.