Iowa patent and technology lawyer Brett Trout recently posted about a couple of cases where bloggers were hit with big verdicts. One of the verdicts included $11.3 million awarded to a Florida woman after being called a "crook", "con artist" and a "fraud" in an online post.
This just points out that businesses must look before they leap with blogs. Blogging raises a whole host of issues incuding copyright infringement, privacy issues and defamation. I recall an instance on the Web where a former employee blasted an employer and then the employer openly discussed on the Web the circumstances of the employee’s departure. The employee could have faced a defamation claim and also a claim for divulging trade secrets of the company regarding pay and product information. On the other hand, the employer could have faced privacy claims for sharing the circumstances of the employee’s termination.
Companies considering a corporate blog should consider seeking advice from a lawyer with a good understanding of technology and blog law.
Often blogging is similar to email. It is often a less formal method of communication and some bloggers don’t think it through before posting their words for the world to see. So look before you leap when it comes to blogging.