Legal Question in Technology Law in Wisconsin
Internet Slander
Recently there has been a numbe of web sites in which
someone is posting comments about me that are
affecting my reputation. Do I have any legal rights?
The person doing this is not using his/her real name
and I am being told by the web site administrator that
ths person ISP will not release the name of the person.
Legally is there anything that I can do to stop this.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Internet Slander
That depends on whether these comments are false. If all this person is doing is posting opinions or saying things about you that are true, then he isn't defaming you.
If it reaches the point where he is harassing you, you could seek a restraining order. Alternatively, if he actually is defaming you or has invaded your privacy, you could file suit and then subpoena his records from the ISP. Whether a lawsuit will be cost-effective is a decision you will have to make.
And no reputable ISP will reveal a user's identity just because someone demands it. You will need a subpoena to get the information, and you can only issue a subpoena as part of an ongoing lawsuit.