Online Defamation Solicitors
Specialist Internet Lawyer Since 1999
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Online Defamation Solicitors
For over a decade, PAIL® Solicitors has been providing consultations and support to stop online defamation, harassment and bullying and remove negative and/or damaging from the Internet. Contact us using the above form on all reputation legal matters or at +44 (0)207 305-7491 or by email to peter@pailsolicitors.co.uk to start taking action now.
What is Online Defamation?
Internet defamation is when a person or a group of people use the Internet to falsely vilify; libel; slander; or spread malicious gossip to damage the reputation of others. They usually do it either to gain a competitive advantage to settle a score or through pure malevolence due to envy. These people have established certain patterns of behaviour. Below are a few tips for dealing with Internet slander should you have the misfortune of becoming a victim.
1.Internet Slander and Pseudonyms
– the perpetrators tend to post offensive material solely using pseudonyms.
2. Internet Slander and Domain Names
– in rare cases, an offender may own top-level domains, like .co.uk or .com. Where the offender owns a top-level domain this is helpful because top-level domains are issued by ICANN approved registries. In the UK Nominet is the central registry for.UK domain names. Note that there is a difference between the registry, Nominet, and the registrar and host of the domain. Registries give a registrant the option of withholding their address from the WHOIS service. Invariably people who bear others ill will do not want their terrestrial contact details to be known. Although they may give a name, in my experience, they will withhold their terrestrial address details. In some cases, disclosure of their address details can be obtained. This does not always mean being able to find the offender. They may have omitted a middle name and have given out of date information to the central registry. They may have moved address since registering the domain name.
3. Internet protocol address
– Another method of tracking an offender is through an Internet protocol address. There is a myth that to trace an offender on the web all you need is an Internet protocol address. An internet protocol address is a number assigned to a connection to the Internet. Large carriers assign IP addresses. As I mentioned before, the registrar and host of the domain name would be any one of hundreds in the UK. Their information should be easily identifiable on the WHOIS lookup. It will be the ISP that will be able to disclose the most recent IP address used by the offender. A reverse lookup will give the name of the carrier allocating that IP address. But as I hinted it is too easy for the perpetrator to either mask their IP address or use a proxy IP address. Anyone can do this by downloading the programs online. There is no technical expertise required. If the perpetrator has any technical expertise then it is virtually certain that they will not be tracked through their IP address without the type of very sophisticated IP tracking tools used by international law enforcement.
4. Internet Slander and Data Protection
– The responsibility for ensuring the adequacy of disclosure of data under Section 29 or 35 of the Data Protection Act 1998, (DPA) rests with the data controller of the information. In using these sections as an exemption to the DPA the carrier must be able to defend its actions if it is ever challenged. Carriers receive several requests for information and due to the complexity involved have decided that they will only disclose where they are ordered to do so by the court. So to get a carrier to disclose the terrestrial address of one of the IP addresses allocated by that carrier to its customer, you have to get a court disclosure order. This can take some time. It is important to note that there is a distinction between a fixed and dynamic IP address. With a dynamic IP address, carriers only keep the details for a limited period from its last use. IP addresses might be allocated to a cyber cafe and lead to nowhere.
Remedies for Internet Slander
Online Defamation Solicitors
So if you can find the offender and you can prove that she was the one that has been posting false and offensive material about you on the Internet then you have the following remedies:
1. The court has jurisdiction to grant an injunction to restrain the offender and to enjoin her to bring down all the offensive material.
2. You may claim compensatory damages for the defamation, for injury to feelings and to reputation. There is no interest in compensatory damages.
3. Special damages for financial loss. You must identify the specific losses you claim to have suffered. You are entitled to claim interest.
4. Exemplary damages. You have to show that the offender posted the material falsely or recklessly as to truth or falsity calculating that the benefit to her would outweigh any compensation.
5. Recover your reasonable legal costs. In court cases, the costs normally follow the case. So if you are victorious you should get your costs of having to bring the case. However, you will not get your costs on the assessment if they are not reasonable (e.g. if your online defamation lawyer charges £500 per hour and the court finds that a much lower rate is the reasonable rate then you will only recover your costs at the lower rate).
In another type of claim, one for harassment, if you can show that the offender is harassing you. Then if you get an injunction order and she breaches that then you can apply to have her imprisoned. This is no simple task since the evidential burden for proving a crime is beyond all reasonable doubt.
Get Started
1. Make sure you have terms and conditions relating to your business with a confidentiality clause to prevent posting of confidential information on the Internet.
2. You need to show you have suffered loss for special damage.
3. If you are to be successful in harassment cases you need to show distress.
4. Be patient.
5. On-line defamation is technical and complex. You need to be patient and determined particularly if the perpetrator has legal representation.
To book a face to face consultation for legal advice about Internet slander, contact us now on 0207 305-7491 or peter@pailsolicitors.co.uk (charge rates may apply and may vary).
Online Defamation Solicitors
Specilaist Internet Lawyer