Legal Question in Intellectual Property in California
Distribution of Email
I sent an email to a company with a complaint about its product. The company then posted my email on a web site, a particular newsgroup for distribution worldwide, which included certain personally identifying information. Did the company violate my rights in any way, including any copyright that I may have in the original email? Thank you.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Distribution of Email
Unnecessary republication of business communications intended to be private between the sender and the original recipient may be a tort, but this is not the kind of thing the copyright laws were intended to protect.
Generally it is a prerequisite to having a basis for a lawsuit that you have suffered measurable financial harm, although not always.
You have a right to privacy, but a truly token risk of some consequences from your complaint and identity being aired in public is probably not cause for complaint or suit.
This is not to sau that the company which did this acted wisely. Still it is more than 50% likely within its rights.
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