Slashdot Mirror
8 Yelp Reviewers Hit With $1.2 Million Defamation Suits
New submitter goodboi writes: A Silicon Valley building contractor is suing 8 of its critics over the reviews they posted on Yelp. The negative reviews were filtered out by Yelp's secretive ranking system, but in court documents filed earlier this month, Link Corporation claims that the bad publicity cost over $165,000 in lost business.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
It's already illegal to intentionally make false statements in writing for the purpose of causing harm. It's called Libel, and it's not new. This is not an "on the internet" law, this is just a law.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
1. Freedom of speech is a government thing.
2. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from the consequences of such speech. Whether you're Anita Sarkeesian, the Dixie Chicks or Sir Tim Hunt - anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of public opinion - and potentially in the court of law if a target of your speech feels that your speech crossed the boundary into libel / slander / defamation.
In this particular case, the business owner believes that the reviews are malicious, fake, the act of a single person, etc. etc. (read the actual document). Now it's up to the court to decide whether or not Yelp will have to notify the author(s) of those reviews, or hand over personal information directly, etc.
Once it was deemed to interfere with commercial activity it got trumped.
Somewhere along the line it became illegal to say "I hired this company and they gave shitty service".
No it didn't, at least not if the statement is factual. Given how Yelp is the 8 defendants may well be competitors who were just trying to knock the competition down a couple of notches.
I see crap like that all the time on smaller businesses around here with which I am familiar. There'll be 5-star ratings that look like they were written by an employee and then 1-star ratings that look like they were written by someone who's never been there.
Do you have ESP?
I know, I know who reads TFA. Still, the company in question is suing alleging these reviews are FAKE. That is they are not suing for negative reviews, they are suing unknown people for posting fake negative reviews.
No, read the article. They are sure it is one person harassing them and they are confident they know who it is. The only way to prove it in court is by getting Yelp to turn over any information that can help them identify who it is.
That has nothing to do with the case IF what is said is true. Remember, truth is a defense against slander / libel. The motivation behind what is said is only considered if what was said is not true.
This is a sig. This is only a sig. Had this been an actual sig you would have been informed where to tune for more sigs.
Did you do a Google Image search too?
On Yelp, this guy is Deepak Patel http://www.yelp.com/not_recomm...
But at Norwest Venture Partners, he's Sanjay Rao https://angel.co/norwest-ventu...
They also had no complaints at the BBB. http://www.bbb.org/losangeless...
Also, I looked on Google for the lawsuit National Collection Agency, Inc. Vs Link Corporation, Et Al Case Number 1-08-CV-129441
Couldn't find it.