A New York state court has thrown out a libel case brought by a conservative political commentator against President-elect Donald Trump, after he referred to her on Twitter as a “dummy,” and a “major loser,” and claimed that she “begged” him for a job. [More]
libel
eBay Seller Who Sued Customers For Bad Feedback Ordered To Pay $19,250 In Legal Fees
By 9.3.15
You may remember that back in 2013, an eBay seller filed a lawsuit against a customer who left him accurate negative feedback, claiming that he hadn’t actually read his own suit when the company’s actions led to Internet backlash. Now the case has finally been resolved, with a judge ordering the seller to pay $19,000 in attorneys’ fees to the local lawyers who took the customer’s case pro bono. [More]
Weight Loss Company Sues Website For Posting Customer Complaints
By 9.22.14
While state and federal lawmakers look for ways to outlaw retail terms of sale that penalize customers who publicly complain about a transaction, one diet supplement company is going after an online complaint site just because it allowed customers to post negative reviews in violation of the supplement company’s non-disparagement clause. [More]
Virginia Supreme Court: Businesses Can’t Censor Yelp Reviews Until They Prove Statements Are Libelous
By 1.2.13
As we’ve covered numerous times, online review sites like Yelp can become a nasty battleground between unhappy consumers and business owners who take issue with what they claim are overly negative, sometimes malicious, comments. Last week, Virginia’s highest court ruled against one such business that had tried to squelch a customer’s reviews. [More]
Samsung Sues Journalist For Satirically Pointing Out That Its Chairman Keeps Getting Convicted Of Crimes
By 5.11.10
Did you know that the chairman of Samsung, Lee Kun-hee, was convicted in 2008 for tax evasion in South Korea? Or that he was convicted in the 90s for bribing politicians? A British journalist, Michael Breen, wrote a satirical column in a South Korean newspaper last December, and now the electronics giant is suing him for libel. If found guilty, Breen could face jail time. [More]
Towing Company Sues Student Over Facebook Page
By 4.13.10
T&J Towing of Kalamazoo, MI wants to send a message to anyone in the town who feels like complaining about the company online. They’ve filed a $750,000 defamation lawsuit against a Western Michigan University student for starting a Facebook page about them. [More]
Twitter Defamation Lawsuit Dismissed
By 1.21.10
The burgeoning Twitter libel defense industry was dealt a blow recently when the infamous Twitter defamation lawsuit was dismissed. Apparently, it is quite difficult to craft a Tweet that fits the legal requirements for defamation in this country. [More]
How To Not Get Sued For What You Said On Yelp
By 1.23.09
Recently, angry chiropractors and dentists have sued Yelp reviewers for defamation, loosely defined as “publicly telling mean lies that hurt more than feelings.” Apparently, no one takes the internet seriously, until all of a sudden someone does. Here’s what anyone who leaves comments online should know about defamation.
Chiropractor Sues Patient Over Negative Yelp Review
By 11.25.08
Chris Norberg left a negative review on Yelp after he got into a billing dispute with chiropractor Steven Biegel. Instead of quietly fuming like most people who get bad reviews on Yelp do, Biegel sued Norberg for defamation. Can you really sue someone for a negative online review?
Onion Farm Sues Taco Bell For Besmirching The Good Name Of Their Onions
By 3.27.07
Taco Bell’s former green onion supplier is suing Taco Bell for libel after the taco giant incorrectly linked green onions to the e. coli scare that sickened more than 70 people last year.
Starforce Tells Customer: Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire
By 3.27.06
Caveat: the second people start sissily flapping their hands at their sides in a huff and crying “libel” is the second we roll our eyes and start rooting for the other side. People don’t understand the term, thinking it somehow gives them legal power to sue people who criticize or insult them. But when the other side to root for is Starforce, and when rooting is shothand for “root kit,” we’re ready to grasp the peaked tips of our skulls and pull ourselves in bloody half by the scalp, to accurately externalize our division.
