Defamation - a statement that makes a false claim, expressly stated or implied to be factual, that may harm the reputation of an individual, business, product, group, government or nation. Most jurisdictions allow legal actions, civil and/or criminal, to deter various kinds of defamation and retaliate against criticism. Common law origins of defamation lie in the torts of slander (harmful statement in a transitory form, especially speech) and libel (harmful statement in a fixed medium, especially writing but also a picture, sign, or electronic broadcast), each of which gives a common law right of action. Libel and slander both require publication. The distinction between libel and slander lies in the form in which the defamatory matter is published. Offending material published in some fleeting form, as by spoken words or sounds, sign language, gestures is slander. Published in more durable form, for ex: in written words, film, compact disc and the like, then it is libel.
2007-04-16
05:01:35
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6 answers
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asked by
damron
3
in
Law & Ethics