Monday, January 17, 2005
Defining Slander, libel and defamation in the context of blogging
Fascinating post from Mitch Racliffe on the definitions of libel, slander and defamation. He also focuses on the angle of how this would apply to someone doing blogging, or podcasting or any other web-based communication tool.
Frankly, you can be accused of slander, in particular, just for making a statement to someone, and this has always been the case. In a business context I suppose statements about the competition would be the most at risk of trespassing into not quite licit territory.
What is new is the reach and scope of blogs, podcasts and the like.
If you think, when you blog, that no one will ever notice what little old you are doing on your blog, you would be wrong, wrong, wrong.
Now, public figures are a little less protected. That is why I can enjoy being inflammatory over on my Political Blog. Of course I better not veer into sounding like I'm threatening any public figure there, or it will earn me a quick visit from the Secret Service.
The online world is monitored (just as you should be monitoring online references to you and your own business.)
Ratcliffe's post should come in handy as a reminder of what you can and cannot say online, at least with impunity.
Frankly, you can be accused of slander, in particular, just for making a statement to someone, and this has always been the case. In a business context I suppose statements about the competition would be the most at risk of trespassing into not quite licit territory.
What is new is the reach and scope of blogs, podcasts and the like.
If you think, when you blog, that no one will ever notice what little old you are doing on your blog, you would be wrong, wrong, wrong.
Now, public figures are a little less protected. That is why I can enjoy being inflammatory over on my Political Blog. Of course I better not veer into sounding like I'm threatening any public figure there, or it will earn me a quick visit from the Secret Service.
The online world is monitored (just as you should be monitoring online references to you and your own business.)
Ratcliffe's post should come in handy as a reminder of what you can and cannot say online, at least with impunity.
// posted by ElisaC @ 11:37 AM 
