Nobody wants to end up in court -- we're all too busy trying to generate interest in our websites. One way to do that is by stirring controversy...and if we're not careful about what pots we stir, we could end up in court on a charge of libel. This article covers the basics of libel, including how to avoid it.
These days, anyone can put up a website. Sites exist that cover the span of everything from personal home pages to the Web presence of multibillion-dollar international corporations.
It is possible to put up a site in a matter of minutes with little or no technical knowledge. However, the ease of putting up a website is deceptive. It is easy to underestimate the amount of legalities involved.
As a website owner, whether your site is a blog or a commercial entity, you should view yourself as a publisher. This means that you need to be aware of some of the basics of publishing law – one of which is the issue of libel.