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How Not to Get Sued When Writing Reviews Online

posted by n1 on Thursday May 15 2014, @07:31AM   
from the say-only-good-things dept.

AnonTechie writes:

From Ars Technica:

Imagine you just purchased a shiny new wireless router from Amazon, only to discover that the product doesn't work as you anticipated. To vent frustration and perhaps help others avoid the same mistake, you leave a negative product review-but some of your claims ultimately turn out to be incorrect or misleading. Now the company's attorneys want to sue you for your "illegal campaign to damage, discredit, defame, and libel" it. Are you going down in flames? Or can you say what you want on the Internet? As with many areas of law, the answers are nuanced and complicated. Our primer, however, will help you avoid the obvious pitfalls.

The article contains advice from defamation lawyer Lee Berlik and free speech attorney Paul Alan Levy.

• Re:One side effect... Re:One side effect... (Score: 4, Funny) by rcamera on Thursday May 15 2014, @02:40PM

  by rcamera (2360) on Thursday May 15 2014, @02:40PM (#43745) Homepage Journal

  like this [amazon.com] 1-star review for perforated pipe? "When extended it leaks. .I was disappointed, I would not recommend"

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• Re:One side effect... Re:One side effect... (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 15 2014, @03:00PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 15 2014, @03:00PM (#43761)

  Yeah I've seen a few for cables that say the cables are too short (but the lengths of the cables were in their description).

  That said I hope whatever laws are introduced don't prevent the entertaining joke reviews.

  e.g. http://www.amazon.com/Denon-AKDL1-Dedicated-Discon tinued-Manufacturer/product-reviews/B000I1X6PM [amazon.com]
  http://www.amazon.com/Zenith-96-0529-4035-Tourbill on-Titanium-Chronograph/dp/B001K3IXW8/ [amazon.com]
  http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=100125 0201 [amazon.com]

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  • Re:One side effect... (Score: 1) by E_NOENT on Thursday May 15 2014, @03:10PM

    by E_NOENT (630) on Thursday May 15 2014, @03:10PM (#43771) Journal

    Who would want to buy a short cable? That's my point, don't you see?

    That's EXACTLY the kind of information I NEED!

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    I'm not in the business... I *am* the business.

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