Slashdot Mirror
British Woman's Twitter Comments Spark Expensive Libel Claims
An anonymous reader writes with this excerpt from the BBC: "A woman who complained about an unpaid £146 invoice is facing a libel battle that could cost her more than £100,000. Lesley Kemp, 55, took to Twitter claiming that a company based in the Middle East had failed to pay her promptly for transcription work. Now the firm is suing Mrs Kemp, of Milton Keynes, for defamation, claiming up to £50,000 in damages and a further £70,000 in costs. The company, Resolution Productions, based in Qatar, has yet to comment."
"I don't know how large his company is; but behind every corporate veil, there is some asshole making the decisions."
It's even better than that. The guy's lawyer has expressly stated that the libel case is on behalf of him personally, and that the company is NOT part of the case.
"I act for Mr Kirby Kearns, the Claimant in the above libel action and am responding to the email you sent to a company of which he is a Director – the company is not a party to the action."
As communicated to Popehat -- http://www.popehat.com/2013/04/15/in-which-a-london-solicitor-threatens-me/
We know where leadership by an anti-intellectual "strongman" who scapegoats minorities and likes boisterous rallies goes
I agree with that wholeheartedly. The counterpoint however, is that in America you can get tied up in the courts to the point of bankruptcy very easily against your will with no wrongdoing on your part. Don't assume that everything about your system is better. (Neither UK nor US here)