Libel in an internet blog

[savafan]

Question for our legal experts. Say someone writes false and misleading information about you, claiming it to be factual, in an internet blog, accusing you of both immoral and criminal behavior publicly, what kind of recourse would one have?

[RedsBaron]

Having done absolutely no legal research on the topic (so my fee at this point will be reasonable ), I would assume you would have the same recourse as if you had been the victim of libel in more traditional media. I cannot imagine there would be any greater protection of liebl and slander in a blog than there would be in any other forum.

[savafan]

If you are curious at all about the blog which references me in a completely untrue fashion, you can find it here:

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...5-6935dee9acb6

I am the D.F.C. which he calls out by name, although that isn't my real middle name. It's pretty bad, and it will hurt my reputation among my co-workers at the Ohio Renaissance Festival. There's not a shred of truth to it however, and I have plenty of witnesses for my side, while the author of the piece wasn't even around when the alleged incident was supposed to have occured.

[westofyou]

They should be sued for using that white text on that background.

[Johnny Footstool]

They should be sued for using that white text on that background.

And that haircut.

sava, find a way to save a copy of that page so that the author can't alter it. The first thing to do would be to contact myspace and have them take it down. If they won't or can't, then look for legal recourse.

[savafan]

And that haircut.

sava, find a way to save a copy of that page so that the author can't alter it. The first thing to do would be to contact myspace and have them take it down. If they won't or can't, then look for legal recourse.

Oh, I've already saved a copy of the page. How do I contact myspace about taking it down?

[MrCinatit]

I would first print a copy of this.
Second, I would contact MySpace's customer service (click here), and have them remove the content. I would also suggest suggesting to them they ban the account.
Finally, contacting a lawyer for this might not be a bad idea. There have been libel cases presented before concerning blogs - and those attacked have won.

And, yeah, WOY, that background is a freaking nightmare.

[registerthis]

Question for our legal experts. Say someone writes false and misleading information about you, claiming it to be factual, in an internet blog, accusing you of both immoral and criminal behavior publicly, what kind of recourse would one have?

I think you're allowed to kill them.

But you might want to double check that.

[Yachtzee]

I think you're allowed to kill them.

But you might want to double check that.

Kill who, the defamer or the legal experts?

[registerthis]

Kill who, the defamer or the legal experts?

Either.

[savafan]

I would first print a copy of this.
Second, I would contact MySpace's customer service (click here), and have them remove the content. I would also suggest suggesting to them they ban the account.
Finally, contacting a lawyer for this might not be a bad idea. There have been libel cases presented before concerning blogs - and those attacked have won.

Done! Thanks.

[Dom Heffner]

My feeling is you will have better luck with myspace than any legal action.

Libel or slander is a tough case because you have to prove he knows that what he is writing or saying isn't true. If he truly believes you did this, he is entitled to his opinion. If he knows you weren't there and you can prove he doesn't know, then you have him nailed to the wall.

I'm hoping that myspace has enough decency to not let him say something like that about another person without having proof first.

[savafan]

I have two threatening answering machine messages as well telling me that he'll find me and make me pay for what I did...which really, what I did, was date his ex after he broke up with her, then when he begged for her to come back to him, she did.

[Team Clark]

My feeling is you will have better luck with myspace than any legal action.

Libel or slander is a tough case because you have to prove he knows that what he is writing or saying isn't true. If he truly believes you did this, he is entitled to his opinion. If he knows you weren't there and you can prove he doesn't know, then you have him nailed to the wall.

I'm hoping that myspace has enough decency to not let him say something like that about another person without having proof first.

You are correct to some measure, however, I am embroiled in this very same type of episode now. Malicious intent and the nature behind it is far easier to prove by their own written words. I turned my case over to the Authorities and they have taken the ball and run with it. My civil process has not even begun as the "authorities" are doing most of the leg work.

[savafan]

You are correct to some measure, however, I am embroiled in this very same type of episode now. Malicious intent and the nature behind it is far easier to prove by their own written words. I turned my case over to the Authorities and they have taken the ball and run with it. My civil process has not even begun as the "authorities" are doing most of the leg work.

Interesting, how did you begin the process?