Legal Question in Technology Law in California

Re: Unauthorized posting of private emails

Your emails are presumptively private, and normally a person who gains unauthorized access to your email can be sued for invasion of privacy. Distribution of the emails would increase the damages but it would still be a privacy case. Depending on what the messages said it could also amount to other torts.

As to stopping him in the future, why not just change your password? That's usually pretty efective.

Your question suggests that there is something unusually damaging about the emails he is spreading. Without knowing what they contain, there is not much more I can tell you.

Re: Unauthorized posting of private emails

The answers are yes, and yes.

The keys to recovery in court are proof that the culprit involved actually did these things, and that you suffered some kind of compensable harm (legal damage) as a consequence.

Unless you have been defamed or suffered non-speculative financial harm you may not get more than nominal damages or a cease-and-desist order.

The formal causes of action to allege in a civil complaint would depend upon the nature of the harm done and your relationship to the culprit. For example, if he is a business competitor, you go one way; if he is merely interfering in your opportunities out of meanness, there are other causes of action to allege (e.g. intentional interference with prospective economic advantage).

Re: Unauthorized posting of private emails

I need to see all the facts, but it looks actionable on an invasion of privacy claim. My rates are reasonable. www.christopherbrainard.com