Let’s Talk Legal But Stay Human

Any time that we write for publication, we open the chance to offend or accidently occur injury. Some folks may find a reason to think the action is intentional. It’s best to know in advance what good legal practice is.

On that note, corporate blogs have died on the vine because legal departments have been allowed to change and “clean up” every word a blogger writes. Doing so takes the life from a blog and kills its humanity. I strongly urge the policy to be let the blogger blog smart and give the blogger a copy of something like EFF: Legal Guide for Bloggers.

The Legal Guide includes this information.

• Blogger Legal Liability Issues — The Overview of Legal Liability Issues FAQ , The Bloggers’ FAQ on Intellectual Property, The Bloggers’ FAQ on Online Defamation Law, The Bloggers’ FAQ on Section 230 Protections, The Bloggers’ FAQ on Privacy
• Bloggers As Journalists — The Bloggers’ FAQ on the Reporter’s Privilege, The Bloggers’ FAQ on Media Access
• Other Legal Issues for Bloggers — The Student Bloggers’ Legal FAQ, The Bloggers’ FAQ on Election Law, The Bloggers’ FAQ on Labor Law, The Bloggers’ FAQ on Adult Material

Another great resource is Plagarism Today, a blog that is updated daily with actually case information.

Awareness and respect are the keywords here. Blogging smart with an eye to the rules and laws should keep bloggers well within the limits of safety and the comfort of any organization, without losing the human quality that makes a blog a blog.

Liz Strauss