[Web4lib] EFF: Legal Guide for Bloggers

[Blake Carver]

Whether you're a newly minted blogger or a relative old-timer, you've been
seeing more and more stories pop up every day about bloggers getting in
trouble for what they post.

Like all journalists and publishers, bloggers sometimes publish
information that other people don't want published. You might, for
example, publish something that someone considers defamatory, republish an
AP news story that's under copyright, or write a lengthy piece detailing
the alleged crimes of a candidate for public office.
http://www.eff.org/bloggers/lg/

The difference between you and the reporter at your local newspaper is
that in many cases, you may not have the benefit of training or resources
to help you determine whether what you're doing is legal. And on top of
that, sometimes knowing the law doesn't help - in many cases it was
written for traditional journalists, and the courts haven't yet decided
how it applies to bloggers.

But here's the important part: None of this should stop you from blogging.
Freedom of speech is the foundation of a functioning democracy, and
Internet bullies shouldn't use the law to stifle legitimate free
expression. That's why EFF created this guide, compiling a number of FAQs
designed to help you understand your rights and, if necessary, defend your
freedom.

To be clear, this guide isn't a substitute for, nor does it constitute,
legal advice. Only an attorney who knows the details of your particular
situation can provide the kind of advice you need if you're being
threatened with a lawsuit. The goal here is to give you a basic roadmap to
the legal issues you may confront as a blogger, to let you know you have
rights, and to encourage you to blog freely with the knowledge that your
legitimate speech is protected.

http://www.eff.org/bloggers/lg/

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Blake Carver
LISNews.com
Librarian & Information Science News
http://lisnews.com