Defamation on Website Directories & Ratings Sites
Eriks Syverson over at the Internet Law Attorney Blog writes about defamation on website directories and ratings sites. You can read his blog at http://syversonlaw.blogspot.com/2008/09/internet-directories-and-ratings.html. Website directories/ratings sites make it easy for past clients/employees to defame businesses and professionals alike, particularly because the Communications Decency Act virtually insulates these sites from liability. That's a problem. Here's the solution according to Erik: "convince" the site to remove the offending post by claiming misappropriation of trade name or likeness. Since most of these sites generate revenue from ads placed on the profile of the defamed individual, without the individual's permission, it arguably constitutes an unfair business practice. This could be a very powerful strategy in combating online defamation.
