Can You Sue for Net-Based Libel?
Whether you sell industrial sweepers , maintain a charity website or just chat on forums, if you're online you could run into someone who tries to defame your character. Sometimes such people are genuinely angry, sometimes they're just trying to get a rise out of you, and in some cases they're mentally unbalanced. Whatever the reason, online defamation can ruin your reputation, damage your career and even leave you vulnerable to legal investigation. Defining Libel Defamation falls into two categories: libel and slander. Slander describes spoken words that injure your reputation, while libel describes written defamation. Online definition is considered libel. To be libel, a written statement must be a false statement presented as a fact, not an opinion. Under the First Amendment, an idea cannot be considered false. Therefore, if someone posts an online message that you're a jerk, it may be hurtful, but it's just an opinion and therefore nor libel. If,...