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Business Defamation Lawyer
Business defamation | Online business reputation defense
A false or negative only review can be devastating to an online or brick-and-morter business. Wherever the source and whatever the medium, such defamatory and untruthful content must be removed as quickly as possible. Our Internet Lawyers work with businesses and their leadership teams to defend a company's brand integrity and business goodwill. We represent business clients that are victims of internet defamation, trade libel and unfair business practices.
We understand how important a positive online reputation is for businesses these days. our business defamation attorneys will fight on behalf of your company to identify the responsible parties, remove the defamatory content, and seek potential damages where appropriate. If your company is being unfairly attacked online by a vendor, previous client, competitor, or former employee, contact us to schedule a consultation to assess your options and take a stand against online business defamation. Our internet attorneys can also take steps to identify and unmask anonymous defamers.
Internet Business Defamation Representation Includes:
- Online Business Defamation and Online Harassment
- Defamatory and Fake Online Customer Reviews
- Competitor Defamation
- Unfair Business Practices
- Social Media Defamation Against Businesses
- Trade Libel
- Anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) Motions
- Business Defamation Litigation
- Section 230 of Communications Decency Act Analysis
- Anonymous Third-Party Poster Investigation
- Subpoena Defense Counsel (of IP Address of Email Accounts, User info, etc.)
- Fake purchase and review schemes ("brushing")
- Grip Sites / Complaint Sites / Sucks Site
Online Business Defamation | Trade Libel
protecting the reputation of businesses and their leadership teams
Business competition is to be expected in a free-market economy, but conducting business on a level playing field doesn't always occur. In today's age of the Internet, unfair competition is easiest to commit online through business defamation methods. Our business defamation lawyers can assist in defending your brand from unfair competition and hold the perpetrators accountable for their illegal actions.
Although each defamation matter is unique, our Internet lawyers have extensive experience defending against business defamation actions taken by industry competitors. This form of online business defamation is considered Trade Libel. A business defamation matter commonly involves a business competitor:
- Posting defamatory reviews on consumer rating websites
- Constructing specific special-purpose defamatory websites
- Purchasing defamatory or false internet ads
Trade Libel is a type of defamation that is specific to businesses. It allows the injured business to seek both compensatory damages and punitive damages. Our Internet Lawyers can defend a business against Trade Libel when the following elements are met:
- A false statement is made about the quality of the business's products or services. The statement must be fact, not opinion.
- The statement was published (simply means the statement must have been communicated to a third party)
- The publisher intended to cause harm or should have recognized as being likely to cause it
- The communication was made knowing that the statement was false
- The business suffered a monetary loss or definitive harm as a result of the published statement
Consumer Review Defamation | Fake Business Reviews
Is your business the victim of a dishonest customer review or under online attack from a customer, vendor, or competitor's defamatory or fake reviews? Online reviews dominate the success or failure of the online economy. One negative review can do severe damage to your business and brand, but you can fight back legally if the offending material is fake or clearly untrue. Review sites where possible defamatory or fake reviews may be posted include but are not limited to:
- Yelp
- Yellowpages
- Manta
- BBB
- Angies List
- Foursquare
- Tripadvisor
When your business is defamed, it is important to act quickly because you only have one to three years following publication to pursue the individual or other business defaming you. The statute of limitations on Internet material begins when the information is first published.
Our experienced team of Internet Lawyers can unmask the identity of anonymous posters, secure removal defamatory online content, and win judgements against defaming parties. We have the skills to protect your rights both in and out of court and have a thorough understanding of the options available to a defamed business. If your company or leadership team is facing online defamation from any source, known or anonymous, schedule an initial consultation with our Internet Lawyers to learn more about your options.
Forms of Defamation
Actual Malice - Actual malice is the standard of proof public figures must satisfy to win a defamation lawsuit. Essentially, actual malice is present when a defendant knowingly publishes or broadcasts a false statement of fact. Reckless disregard for the truth amounts to actual malice in some jurisdictions.
Defamation Per Quod - Per quod is essentially the opposite of per se. In a per quod defamation case, the plaintiff must prove the actual damages caused, as it may not be apparent to the average person.
Defamation Per Se - Some statements are naturally and obviously harmful; they are considered per se defamatory. In defamation per se claims, plaintiffs don't have to prove injury because the harm is presumed. For example, falsely calling someone a criminal would fall under the per se umbrella.
Libel - Libel is written defamation. If the Los Angeles Times or "Jane Doe's Blog" publish something in print or online that's defamatory, it's considered libel. Social Media and Blog comments also fall under the libel category.
Slander - Slander is spoken or transitory defamation. If a TV host or radio announcer says something defamatory on air, that is considered slander.
WHAT PLAINTIFFS MUST PROVE TO WIN A DEFAMATION LAWSUIT IN THE U.S.
To win a U.S. defamation lawsuit, the plaintiff, at the very least, must prove that the defendant:
- Published or otherwise broadcast an unprivileged, false statement of fact about the plaintiff;
- Caused material harm to the plaintiff by publishing or broadcasting said false statement of fact;
- Acted either negligently or with actual malice;
Our Internet defamation lawyers know how to get libelous content removed from the Web. Schedule a Consultation to learn more about your options or scroll down for additional information that may relate to your specific situaion.
“It’s not slander if it’s true.”