EFF Publishes Legal Guide for Bloggers

EFF Publishes Legal Guide for Bloggers

Whether you're a newly minted blogger or a relative old-timer,
you've been seeing more and more stories pop up every day
about bloggers getting into trouble for what they post.

Like all journalists and publishers, bloggers sometimes
publish information that other people don't want published.
You might, for example, publish something that someone
considers defamatory, republish an AP news story that's
under copyright, or write a lengthy piece detailing the
alleged crimes of a candidate for public office.

The difference between you and the reporter at your
local newspaper is that in many cases, you may not have
the benefit of training or resources to help you
determine whether what you're doing is legal. And on top
of that, sometimes knowing the law doesn't help - in
many cases the law was written for traditional journalists,
and the courts haven't decided yet how it applies to
bloggers.

But here's the important part: None of this should stop
you from blogging. Freedom of speech is the foundation
of a functioning democracy, and Internet bullies shouldn't
use the law to stifle legitimate free expression. That's
why EFF created the "Legal Guide for Bloggers," compiling
a number of FAQs designed to help you understand your
rights and, if necessary, defend your freedom.

Follow the links below to read the guide and learn more
about ways EFF is fighting to defend bloggers' rights:

EFF: Legal Guide for Bloggers:
<http://www.eff.org/bloggers/lg>

EFF: Fighting for Bloggers' Rights:
<http://www.eff.org/bloggers/>

Press release: "Justice for Bloggers":
<http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2005_06.php#003677>