As a blogger, your survival depends on your ability to post about whatever is on your mind. Most people assume that free speech means you are able to say whatever you want whenever you want with no consequences, but the reality is that there are always exceptions to what you are allowed to say. Some countries have more exceptions than others, but before you post your unsavory thoughts online about your recent experience with a local business owner, for example, you should be aware of these common exceptions.
Libel/Defamation
Say you're writing a blog post about how to tell if your man is cheating, and you want to use an example. If you use a real life example, perhaps by accusing your own husband of cheating with his business associates, you could get into trouble if your story turns out not to be true. When you make up stories about a person that paints them in a bad light, they can sue you for defamation or libel, and end up winning money from you for the damage you caused their reputation.
This information is brought to you as a service by Scarfone Hawkins LLP law firm.
Copyright Infringement
One day you find the perfect picture to illustrate the blog article you wrote on breast implants. It's a picture of a famous large breasted female superhero. You post it in your article and suddenly there's a comic book company suing you for copyright infringement. What happened? If you use characters, scenes, or photos you don't own (even if its your own drawing of someone else's character) you must be reviewing or parodying it or you are infringing on their rights to be the only person who makes money or gets attention from it.
Hate Speeches
If you have gone for teeth whitening for example, and were displeased with the results your dentist gave you, be careful how you criticize them on your blog. If you were to say that your dentist's race, sexual orientation, or religion made him a bad dentist or that all people like him should be harmed or banished, you would be making a hate speech. In countries like Canada, this can get you into big trouble.
Threats
Many people assume they are anonymous whenever they use the internet, but the fact is that there's always a way to find out who said what. So if you get angry at your rival who keeps claiming that he has the best products for less and you threaten to burn down his store or attack him, the police will be getting involved. Threats of bodily harm and property damage are taken very seriously.
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