How to Blog Safely…
Posted on September 20, 2006 by Christine | 7 Comments
The topic of blogger and podcaster rights came up again today thanks to things currently going on in the blogosphere. While I was thinking about it, I decided to go and poke around the EFF website. If you have a blog, of any nature, I really recommend reading this site. There is so much great information out there – and while you might think it doesn’t apply to you, it probably does.
Heck, it doesn’t even apply to just bloggers. The EFF stepped in to help when needed for online embroidery fans – and if embroidery fans need them, knitters might need them too! You can read the whole story here.
The only time I have run into a legal issue with a (outside of an employer not liking the fact that I blogged) was when we received what was basically a “cease and desist” letter regarding what a hosting client had posted on his site. He went to a restaurant, and his experience sucked. He blogged about it (something we all do at one time or another), and in his post he named the restaurant and said that it, well, sucked. Google picked it up, and soon people were googling “restaurant sucks” and finding his blog post. It became a forum of sorts for disgruntled former and current employees of the sucky restaurant. The restaurant’s lawyers sent the letter, citing copyright infringement issues (he had a photo that showed a display case and part of an employee’s uniform shirt which had the logo on it) among other things. He didn’t fight them on it, because he really only wanted to share that he didn’t like the place – so he just pulled the post. But when you stop to think about it, they really had no right to complain and threaten him. It can happen though. Even if you don’t care about it and you pull the post, there is still something startling about getting that letter from the lawyer to begin with.
I know there are many bloggers out there that want to remain anonymous, and that is ok – but I recommend that you read the EFF’s Guide on Blogging Anonymously and really think about it. Once you put it out there, it is out of your control, freely released for the rest of the Internet to see. Be wise about what you choose to put out there. The Legal Guide for Bloggers and the Podcasting Legal Guide are also another good thing to consider.
Speaking of which, I totally missed my 6 year blogging anniversary earlier this month! Can you believe it? The BlahBlahBlog.com (the original name of this site, and I still own the URL) is 6 years old. Wow. How time flies! I still remember how back in 2000 I would tell someone I had a blog and they would look at me like I was speaking gibberish. Now you hear about blogs all the time. The changes are amazing.
Related posts:
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- This is Not Your Blog…
- Would the Local Blogosphere Benefit from a Blog Critic?
- Blogs, Fonts and Crack…
Comments
7 Responses to “How to Blog Safely…”
I’m Quite Clever
About Me
Hi! I'm Christine. Wife to Mike. Mom of Jason. Owned by 4 cats. Houston & Destination Wedding Photographer & owner of Hot Mama Boudoir. Blogger since 2000. Living in Houston, Texas since 1985. Living in a 1920 Bungalow in the Heights since 2011.
Want to know more? Just ask.
Extreme
September 21st, 2006 @ 8:51 am
Ok, so I admit I’m apparently out of touch with the rest of the world. {crawls out from under rock} What things are currenlty going on in the blogosphere?
September 21st, 2006 @ 10:33 am
Congrats on your 6 year blogiversary – WOW.
September 21st, 2006 @ 12:37 pm
Thanks for the advice and congrats for a major milestone! I intended to blog anonymously, but I love meeting people and joining knitting events.
I almost blogged about a case that really broke my heart, but decided it was a bad idea.
September 21st, 2006 @ 2:01 pm
Well don’t sue me for bad blogging – I pumped up your podcast today! If you think of it – send us a promo before,mmm, Wednesday? and I’ll get it up on the next pocast.
Wendy
September 21st, 2006 @ 2:47 pm
happy blogaversary!
and i’m listening to episode 7 of your podcast right now ) and i LOVE your bumper music!
September 21st, 2006 @ 8:56 pm
There is a whole thing going down over yarn companies fixing the prices on their yarns and not letting people sell them for less. Needless to say, that is just slightly illegal. So we were pointing out that if you choose to blog about it, naming names, they just might come after you.
I wonder how Apple gets away with their price fixing? Ever notice how iPods cost the same everywhere?
Wendy, you rock. Thank you for the pimpage, and I promise to do the same! Lisa, you’re right – it is hard to meet bloggers and still be anonymous. I know I could never do it.
September 24th, 2006 @ 8:03 pm
FYI…
“The restaurant’s lawyers sent the letter, citing copyright infringement issues (he had a photo that showed a display case and part of an employee’s uniform shirt which had the logo on it) among other things.”
This is total and unadulterated horsepuckey. These lawyers should be ashamed of themselves for drafting such a letter, and they deserve to be humiliated in public for their lack of knowledge of copyright and trademark law.
They obviously relied on their superior resources to bluff this fellow into submission. Too bad more folks don’t have the ability to push back on this sort of nonsense.