Quote:
Originally posted by RawAlex@Feb 20 2003, 04:10 PM
if you can walk around with that Tshirt without getting sued, it must be true... no? We aren't talking about "JR is a slob" or "JR like teletubbies"... you are stating he is a criminal and he ain't arguing about it. I would have to assume that there is some fact to the message, no?
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Damn...
Alex, it doesn't matter whether it says he is a criminal or a slob... That is simply a matter of extremes......
If you state a fact about someone that is not true, then it is illegal.....
Just like speeding, it doesn't matter whether you are running at 5 miles over or 50 miles over, you can still get pulled over... Fine/punishment might be different, but they are both illegal.....
You can not in any means defend your indignation over the way the school district handled the T-shirt matter while at the same time accusing folk of libel for treating you the same way...
Either it is right, or it is wrong... That you CHOOSE a level at which you decide to get insulted is YOUR choice.....
BTW, from what I understand from my lawyer buddy (and he has looked at this thread and laughed his ass off about it), Nothing that has been said here or in the free speech thread could be taken as libelous because it has been addressed at internet handles, not people.... I know that you and I and the rest of the folk around here realize that there are actual people behind the handles, the law would not recognize that fact and either does the internet as a whole. Internet handles are not trademarkable or protected in any way... I can go over to any board that you have not registered as "rawalex" and I can register as a user under that name.. I can also come in here and register various versions of rawalex and post under them... It is not a protected handle, it is not a real person.. It is a nickname that you have picked for yourself...
Unless the comments are tied to yur actual real name, they are not going to end up being actionable.....
just imho (and my lawyer buddy's)