Dispatches from Blogistan: A Travel Guide for the Modern Blogger

12. Keeping It Legal

Blogs make publishing so simple, it’s easy to forget that legal responsibilities and liabilities are part of the package. Most problems can generally be avoided by keeping common sense and common decency in mind, but a familiarity with the basic laws governing intellectual property, defamation, privacy, obscenity, and journalistic privilege will go a long way toward ensuring that your blogging days are tort-free.

One of the realities complicating any discussion of blogs and legal issues is that laws differ from one state or province to another, and from country to country. This chapter will focus primarily on laws in the United States, but the larger legal issues discussed will be of concern to bloggers everywhere. Another ...