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From: eli@spdcc.COM (Steve Elias)
Newsgroups: news.admin,misc.legal
Subject: usenet and legal liability
Message-ID: <691@ursa-major.SPDCC.COM>
Date: 21 Nov 89 12:50:35 GMT
Reply-To: eli@ursa-major.spdcc.COM (Steve Elias)
Lines: 27

wcn@max.u.washington.edu (W C Newell Jr) writes:
>he/she will agree to take it on.  Some will accept libel cases based on a
>percentage of the award, if any.  The first big Internet libel case will
>probably work like this, with a lot of attendant media publicity.

	a lawyer tells me that libel must be spoken, and that
	slander is written.  so shouldn't you be saying "slander case"?

>Of course, if you believe no one will ever be sued over a Usenet article, then
>this is a moot point.

	i hope that nobody  does get sued over an article.  it is a
	rather uncomfortable feeling to be threatened with such a suit, 
	especially when the 'accuser' is a corporate giant.  this is precisely
	what happened to me about a month ago.  
	i allegedly made a posting which gave my opinion about a 
	company which is represented on this network by marketing twerps
	instead of engineering types.  they promptly threatened me with 
	legal action.  it's one thing to have MES after you in court...
	it's another to have a big corporation threaten court action.
	


-- 
 ... Steve Elias ; eli@spdcc.com ; 6179325598 ; {}
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