Questions tagged [libel]
Defamation by written means
5
votes
1answer
85 views
Can I sue someone for publicly calling me a sex offender if I'm not one?
I was removed from the sex offender list by the state in May because I don't have a sex related crime, but I can still find myself posted on websites and posts labeling me as a registered sex offender....
2
votes
2answers
158 views
Can a private chat conversation about someone be considered defamation?
I recently commented on a Facebook post of a friend and suddenly got messaged by someone who was involved in the post.
This person is in fact part of my social circle, however we are not close, we ...
1
vote
1answer
64 views
Do I face liability for publishing a ranked list of companies?
I want to create a website in which I will list various of companies in a niche area. I will write pros/cons and publish a ranking list based on my opinion. So my questions are:
Can I create such a ...
0
votes
3answers
60 views
Is publication of an unpaid debt considered to be libelous?
In the United States, if a debtor is in default, is it considered libel if the creditor publishes the fact that the debtor is delinquent?
My understanding is that normally truth is a perfect defense ...
0
votes
1answer
39 views
Personal vs Corporate Liability: A Simple Example
Imagine a person, Mr. X, who says something really bad about another person. Let's say he falsely accuses him of robbing a bank and abandoning his children.
In fact, he says it twice. He says it once ...
0
votes
2answers
76 views
Is it legal to mention famous singer and song title in autobiography?
I've been writing an autobiography about sexual abuse that happened to me throughout my childhood. The abuser was the dad of a famous singer. Once I was old enough (18) to leave home and file charges (...
1
vote
3answers
227 views
Where is the distinction between libel and publicly voiced opinion?
I've always been interested in issues related to free speech, but they've also always seemed a bit tricky to make any determinations over as they encompass both opinions and strict legal codes.
As I ...
1
vote
2answers
118 views
Is it legal to post my experience about my landlord?
I had a horrible experience, wanted to move out and the landlord reactivated the ad.
Is it legal to post a comment to highlight my negative experiences? To me it seems like giving 1 star to a product ...
0
votes
0answers
132 views
Can I ever be legally fined for sharing that person A is person B?
I know that two internet/public personalities are actually the same,
and considering publishing this. That person himself would not want
this revealed, but it is the truth and it would benefit me in ...
1
vote
1answer
25 views
Sentiment Analysis on Persons, Companies, Things
Are there any laws against applying sentiment analysis on people, places, or things using open source data? How about data only found on my network (proprietary user opinion of other people, places, ...
1
vote
1answer
136 views
Are parents responsible for libel committed by their children?
If a minor commits libel, are their parents or guardian liable for the tort?
1
vote
3answers
725 views
In Germany, can an Individual press charges against a Newspaper for Libel?
So I've read the following:
"You cannot publish untrue information about anyone or anything that could negatively affect that person or thing's reputation on your public blog. It doesn't matter if you ...
0
votes
1answer
50 views
Would it be libel if published information was “leaked” by third parties?
Suppose your company is doing a competitive analysis on a competitor, and compiles a set of unflattering data. This is for "internal" (company) use, not for publication. But a hacker breaks into your ...
2
votes
2answers
185 views
Is “republication” a defense against libel?
The New York Times published a story alleging that person A did X. You publish a piece that said, "The New York Times reported that A did X."
Later, Person A sues the New York Times and wins. Can ...
1
vote
1answer
109 views
Would it be libel to write that President Trump is a rapist?
By almost any dictionary definition, US President Donald Trump is an accused rapist. However, no litigation has taken place with a conviction of sexual assault or rape.
If one was to write in a ...
1
vote
1answer
44 views
Is it legal to publish an edited version of an article without a disclaimer?
Say I were to write an opinionated letter to the editor. Then, the newspaper edited my article for content (deleted something they didn't like, changed wording, or otherwise changed the meaning of my ...
0
votes
1answer
810 views
Can former President Obama sue President Trump for defamation? [duplicate]
President Trump has made assertions that former President Obama "wire tapped" him and Trump has claimed that he has evidence of this. It begins to appear that Trump has been lying about this and that ...
-5
votes
2answers
253 views
Can I be sued for libel for warning others about claims maybe by individuals who do not want to come forward to collaborate them?
This question is asked out of curiosity. While I ask this using a situation form my own life I'm not asking for legal advice and my actions are not going to be affected by the answers, I'm not ...
12
votes
5answers
6k views
Do Twitter disclaimers saying “opinions are my own” give any legal protection to the account owner?
A larger number of twitter accounts have a biography stating that tweets are their own opinion not that of their company. An example:
Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer
Does this ...
1
vote
2answers
355 views
Is it illegal for public figures to knowingly state a falsehood?
Here is an excerpt from this article in the New York Times:
The Supreme Court established the First Amendment principles that govern the country’s libel laws in 1964, with its unanimous decision in ...
2
votes
1answer
538 views
What is the difference between Libel and Libel Per Se?
Defamation is defined on various legal online resources (as well as here, and Libel is written and published defamation.
Libel is defamation and defined as a false and unprivileged statement of fact ...
0
votes
2answers
988 views
Posting Sex Offender Information Online
Sex Offender Information is public to an extent. If I become aware of a sexual offender in an area and simply post a link to the registry with the intent to merely inform others and not harass nor ...
1
vote
2answers
171 views
Can you sued for libel for telling the truth in negative advertisement?
In the event of a lawsuit against a previous employer for non payment. And the evidence against them includes notarized statements from previous employees with statements towards the owner refusal to ...
4
votes
2answers
134 views
How can pro bono lawyers of a libel defendant become defendants themeselves?
According to this wikipedia article, Lord Aldington managed to join pro bono legal defenders for Nikolai Tolstoy as defendants in his libel lawsuit.
"In 1996 the Court of Appeal upheld an order ...
2
votes
2answers
159 views
USA: Is the opposite of libel illegal?
The dictionary defines libel as:
a published false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation
In the USA, is the opposite illegal? That is:
a published false statement that is ...
3
votes
6answers
497 views
How can libel laws be consistent with the 1st Amendment?
The 1st Amendment states
Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press
So how can libel law be constitutional?
1
vote
1answer
68 views
Depicting real places, public organisation names, and generic industries in an inaccurate manner in fiction
Could it be a case for libel if a fictional story has reference to the following…
Places and countries (and some details, like description of locations, which may not be accurate)
Reference to law ...
0
votes
1answer
123 views
Case of a libel judgment when an author is basing the premise of the story (fictionally) on the actual negative activities of the company?
I'm a fiction writer. (You all love these questions.) My publications ALWAYS begin with the general disclaimer "This is a work of fiction ..."
However, I've been doing more realistic dramas, and I'll ...
0
votes
0answers
25 views
Reclaiming costs of monitoring/reporting potential libel?
If company A regularly publishes potentially libelous content about company B, to the extent that B feels it has to hire somebody to monitor A and request takedowns of the content, can B claim costs ...
3
votes
1answer
68 views
Libel of website
Is it possible to libel a website such as Craigslist or Facebook in a work of fiction? For example, if one were to write about a fictional character who had an interaction with another character, and ...
6
votes
1answer
750 views
Risks of criticizing people online
Okay, so, basically, I want to make a blog about ripping on people. And it's not like just ripping because ripping but I really want to point out flaws in works/people/attitudes/technology/decisions ...
2
votes
3answers
538 views
Legal issues of a website such as [businessname]sucks.com
What kinds of legal issues do websites such as [businessname]sucks.com have in terms of copyright infringement, libel and defamation, and/or other issues?
Let's say there is a website called [...
2
votes
1answer
64 views
Avoiding law suits with product comparisons
Upstate NY here, although this is more an internet-level question w.r.t. law.
Also, an initial disclaimer: Although my particular use case does not involve Pepsi in any way/shape/form, I'm going to ...
0
votes
0answers
55 views
Peeple - Was the Original Idea Legal?
Originally, the app "Peeple" was going to allow anyone to create a profile for anyone and then allow others to rate the person from 1 to 10 (or something along those lines), while writing a comment. ...
3
votes
2answers
173 views
Do laws against libel and slander [malice] also apply to incomplete information?
I understand that if somebody posts false information about an individual and if it can be proved that individual had intent to cause malice against the other individual, then that can be brought to ...
0
votes
1answer
173 views
Is Peeple Legal?
This question has to do with the legality of "Peeple", which was described as "Yelp for People". The basic idea is that someone makes a profile for a person, listing their name, age, city, or ...
1
vote
1answer
82 views
UK-centric: how to stop a former colleague spreading informally unwelcome references?
I have a friend who took a former employer to tribunal, employer preferred to pay him early settlement compensation, signed mutual NDA not allowing any party (including employees) to disclose the ...
1
vote
2answers
110 views
Colloquialisms as defamatory statements
Considering a claim, in which the particulars state that words or phrases, often used in a colloquial manner, have caused or may cause financial and/or reputational damage to persons or businesses.
...
0
votes
3answers
143 views
What are my defenses against libel in this situation?
I had a dream that an acquaintance of mine was engaged in the African slave trade in the United States (that is right now, in the early 21st century). Suppose I turned the dream into a piece of ...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
How does the statute of limitations on defamation work?
My understanding is that defamation has a very short window for a lawsuit, like one year.
So suppose a libelous statement was published in a widely circulated journal, call it the New York Times, and ...
7
votes
1answer
142 views
Is contributory “publication” a defense against libel?
Suppose there was a work of fiction where one of the characters was based on a real one. And suppose the real person sued the author and, through the process of discovery, found private emails, author'...
3
votes
1answer
146 views
Is there a good defense against libel if a fictitious character is clearly a “composite?”
The name I had in mind was "Hillary Rice Whitman," the first female President of the United States. Maybe I'd make it Hillary Elizabeth Rice Whitman.
Is the creation of the "composite" a strong ...
6
votes
1answer
425 views
How does changing a name FAIL to protect against a libel suit?
In the answer to this question, someone convinced me that changing Paul dePodesta's name to "Peter Brand" in "Moneyball, was enough to signal a "disconnect" between Mr. dePodesta and "Billy Beane's ...
1
vote
1answer
706 views
What is “fair comment” in the context of a defamation suit?
Suppose there is a nationally known politician, and it is widely reported in the papers that some of his supporters fear leaving their college-aged daughters alone with him.
And suppose someone ...
6
votes
1answer
79 views
Are forum users who establish their identity more entitled to protection from libel?
In an online forum or social network does a user who ties the identity of their presence there to their real world identity have more recourse open to them with regard to being libeled than a user who ...
10
votes
1answer
2k views
The difference between libel and slander
I've heard people use the terms libel and slander interchangeably, but I know that they are different in the eyes of the law. What are the defining characteristics of each?
6
votes
1answer
246 views
How is “defamation” defined?
I have a recollection that late in the 20th century in the United States, A called B a "bastard." B sued A for defamation.
The court ruled in favor of the defendant. Its first observation was that (...
5
votes
1answer
174 views
How does changing a name protect against a libel suit when “everyone” knows who he is?
In the movie, "Moneyball," the name of Billy Beane's assistant was fictionalized to "Peter Brand." Yet anyone who has read Michael Lewis' book knows that his real name was Paul dePodesta.
Mr. ...
