Los Angeles Internet Defamation Lawyer
While the Web has many benefits, it has unleashed a rash of defamatory content. Many small and medium-sized businesses and individuals have suffered anonymous attacks on their reputation and good will due to this activity.
I'm Los Angeles Internet lawyer Erik Syverson, and I know what my clients are going through. I handle dozens of Internet defamation cases each year. My firm can offer clear insight and a realistic online reputation management strategy to combat attacks on your reputation.
Internet defamation can include false or misleading comments about a business on a site like Citysearch or Yelp. An ex-wife may post lies about her husband on a blog. An anonymous person may post false information about your company on a message board. Slanderous content on YouTube and posts on social networking sites including Twitter, Facebook and MySpace can also cause harm to your reputation.
In some cases, a strongly worded letter will convince the Web site owner or poster to remove the defamatory content voluntarily. Unfortunately, a defamation lawsuit may be necessary to unmask your cyber attacker(s) and protect your reputation.
I am one of the few lawyers in America who handles both Internet law and is an experienced litigator and trial lawyer. If you are facing Internet defamation, contact me to discuss your legal options.
Fight Defamation by Anonymous Message Posters
One of biggest barriers to holding people responsible for Internet defamation is that they typically post messages using anonymous e-mail addresses or screen names. Many people who post damaging content online believe that Web anonymity is a free-speech right, or that it makes them immune from prosecution.
As your attorney, I can help you file a John Doe lawsuit and use the subpoena power granted by it to force the Internet Service Provider (ISP) to provide any information they have about the anonymous poster. By carefully sifting through the often complex data they provide, I can pull information that leads to the next link in the digital chain, then follow the trail of electronic breadcrumbs until the identity of the poster is revealed.
Online Reputation Management: Protect Your Business
All too often, Web pages with defamatory comments appear higher in Google rankings than company Web sites or press releases. Any response you make to the attack is simply drowned out, so you may feel powerless to set the record straight.
Protecting your reputation from new threats requires new tactics. Existing laws can be inadequate or ineffective in combating Internet defamation. Under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, ISPs are usually not held liable for the bad behavior of users. However, I can still help you get results by employing certain strategies, including:
- Filing and prosecuting defamation and trade libel lawsuits
- Direct pre-litigation negotiation with Web sites where defamatory content appears
- Forensic computer techniques to track and locate those attacking your reputation
I have often dealt with the in-house counsel representing large ISPs and Web sites, and can often contact them directly to move a favorable resolution forward.
I employ tested legal strategies to exert legal pressure upon Web sites that host defamatory material in an effort to convince such sites to voluntarily remove defamatory content. Even with existing limits on liability for Web hosts and sites, many of them are not anxious to engage in a legal fight to test the protections granted by the Communications Decency Act.
I know the language of the Web and, with my experience in commercial litigation, I know how to use cyber laws and online practices to protect your rights and reputation.
For more information about Internet defamation and online reputation management: Contact me, Los Angeles attorney Erik Syverson, to discuss your case.
