Libel & slander here???

[panzerwagen]

Martyn or any other guys here ...have you ever been sued for any derogatory things you may have said about a
parts supplier? VAG guys! What is your attitude about something like this? Lets say you sell a part and the part
isn't what the customer wanted and he comes here & shoots his mouth off about the saleman who sold him the
part being an *******.... Do you start legal proceedings against him . Do you contact him first to let him know that
he must retract what he has said on a public Forum? Reason I'm asking is that I've been reading how more & more people are being sued for what they say on what they thought were public Internet Forums .

[Sonic]

Wouldnt posts on this forum be considered freedom of speech, regardless of the context and content of the post?

[s2_bo]

Wouldnt posts on this forum be considered freedom of speech, regardless of the context and content of the post?

Thats what i thought to

[Markarina]

Definition of Libel: the publication of a statement in some permanent form (including broadcasting) which has the potential to damage someone's reputation and which is claimed to be false.

Freedom of speech I think means you can say it, doesn't mean you can't get prosecuted for damaging someobdy's reputation unless what you say is 100% true 100% of the time, so if you make a claim somebody never delivers on time based on one experience and nobody else has had a problem then that would probably be considered libel, however if some people have had a problem and some haven't then it gets into a grey area

just my tuppence worth

[Audi Parts Guru]

There may well be freedom of speech, but there is always two sides to EVERY story, think about it

[panzerwagen]

So following the posts I read so far.....CAUTION is advised...

when flaming someone here or dire legal consequences will result.
So lads watch what you say here on the Forum!!!!!

[volcano rs]

when flaming someone here or dire legal consequences will result.
So lads watch what you say here on the Forum!!!!!

you americans always trying to make a quick buck or two in compesation

[Ian Simmonds]

you americans always trying to make a quick buck or two in compesation

Writ's in the post.... That's slander...

[volcano rs]

Writ's in the post.... That's slander...

i wouldn't be surprised

[Donutking]

Its funny companies try to conduct buisness over here in a shady manor and then when people try to speak thier mind and tell others companies are the good guys all of a sudden... Americans trying to make a quick buck...never LOL!!!

[volcano rs]

Its funny companies try to conduct buisness over here in a shady manor and then when people try to speak thier mind and tell others companies are the good guys all of a sudden... Americans trying to make a quick buck...never LOL!!!

the compesation thing has moved across here too everyones trying to sue somebody or another because of it the insurance has gone sky high

[Sonic]

There may well be freedom of speech, but there is always two sides to EVERY story, think about it

Anyone concerned is very welcome to make a post below with their side of the story

[MidnightBlueS2]

when flaming someone here or dire legal consequences will result.
So lads watch what you say here on the Forum!!!!!

No offense to you panzer in any way, what I'm saying hereafter is a general statement but I think that freedom of speech should have no limitations whatsoever ! If I want to say something, I will say it and anybody can sue my rats a"" if he/she wants to.
Bring it on !
I'd love to see a judge trying to limit my freedom of speech ! Case would be dismissed for frivolty IMHO as this is a PUBLIC forum !...

[B300ABT]

Definition of Libel: the publication of a statement in some permanent form (including broadcasting) which has the potential to damage someone's reputation and which is claimed to be false.

Freedom of speech I think means you can say it, doesn't mean you can't get prosecuted for damaging someobdy's reputation unless what you say is 100% true 100% of the time, so if you make a claim somebody never delivers on time based on one experience and nobody else has had a problem then that would probably be considered libel, however if some people have had a problem and some haven't then it gets into a grey area

just my tuppence worth

I know of one Porsche Forum and one general motoring Forum that ran into potentially crippling trouble because they "allowed" a poster to effectively re-visit every single issue that he had regarding the way he had been treated by a motor trader after the deal was concluded.
Despite the fact that there would indeed be two sides to the story, the supplier wasn't going to get involved in a public debate, and as the items being posted were clearly defamatory, and it was the Forum that was allowing them into the public domain, it was the Forum Administrator who bore the legal responsibility, along with the poster.
The bottom line is that you should be very careful about what you post on a public forum - it can come back and bite!

[the pirate]

Legal proceedings

I would agree with the above statement.
I am a member of a traction engine forum, and a poster on that forum put some very dubious comments on there about an engine owner and one of his engines, and the site administrator was seriously threatened with court action if the site was not closed down, and the poster of the comments did not put a public apology on there.
This site was closed down as a public forum, and a new site created, with it's hosting done from the USA, to get around the personal liability issue in the future.

Be very careful I reckon.