Blogger Sued Over Blog Comments
The Blog Herald: “The guru behind SEO Book Aaron Wall is being sued by Traffic-Power.com in relation to comments left on his blog by other people.”
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The Blog Herald: “The guru behind SEO Book Aaron Wall is being sued by Traffic-Power.com in relation to comments left on his blog by other people.”
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» Micro Persuasion: Blogger Sued Over Blog Comments from Dealio
Micro Persuasion: Blogger Sued Over Blog Comments
... [Read More]
» Being Sued Over Comments from Calblog
Justin notes below that a blogger has been sued over comments. The news is filtering aroung the blogosphere. Longtime readers will remember that Infotel threatened suit twice and tried a backdoor petition in Montreal because of comments on this post.... [Read More]
» How Can Bloggers Protect Themselves From Lawsuits? from Somewhat Frank
I recently saw on an post on Micro Persuasions that Aaron Wall’s of SEOBook.com is being sued for comments that others made on his blog. This is a bit disturbing since we all write in the blogosphere using our first [Read More]
» Blogger Being Sued for Comments from HorsePigCow: Life Uncommon
Seriously...first heard about it through Steve Rubel, then read more about it at The Blog Herald, then read it directly from the horse's mouth.
Alas, just when I think the world had turned and the blogosphere had broken through the muck, Aaron Wal... [Read More]
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This is something Warren Kinsella, a Canadian political operative, has mentioned in his blog @ www.warrenkinsella.com. If you publish something defamatory, even if you didn't say it, you could be liable. I would guess anyone with a blog with comments would want to take this threat seriously.
Posted by: BJ Fischer | Saturday, August 27, 2005 at 09:39 AM
As a PR person, Steve, what's your counsel?
I have written twice about libel, and it's implications for blogs, and admitted that it was a quandry. As someone that pushes his agency's clients to blog, what is yours and CK's advice to clients?
If there's any issue that is "on how blogging, podcasting and citizen journalism are impacting marketing communications," it's libel.
Posted by: Jeremy Pepper | Saturday, August 27, 2005 at 04:16 PM
This will be especially interesting since media law has always been very concerned with the concepts of "prior restraint" and a "chilling effect". In this case, we're talking about a form of self-expression (blogging) that would potentially be blunted if there was an overhanging threat of litigation based on a key part of that self-expression (offering outside comments).
However, IANAL...
Posted by: Phil Gomes | Sunday, August 28, 2005 at 03:43 PM
I dealt with this threat rather successfully in CA. Unfortunately my bar license doesn't let me practice in PA. My opinion is that the Communications Decency Act protects the blogger where, as here, the blogger is willing to remove comments if they are untruthful. PA may also have an anti-SLAPP law designed to protect speech and requiring the plaintiff to come up with proof before letting the lawsuit proceed. Aaron's got to be willing to stand firm though.
Posted by: Justene | Sunday, August 28, 2005 at 04:25 PM