: Re: What steps can be taken to avoid libel / copyright issues in social commentary? I'm interested in the social, cultural, and political landscape around me, and I think I've "got a book in me"

@Annie587

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I am not a lawyer, but my understanding:

In the U.S., you generally have the right to express your opinion on any subject you like. If you talk about specific people, you have to beware of libel and slander laws. Basically, you can express opinions about people, but if you make statements of fact, you must have some substantiation that those facts are accurate. For example, if you say, "I hate Senator Jones", that's a statement of opinion and should be absolutely protected. If you say, "Senator Jones accepted a bribe from XYZ Corporation", that's a claim of fact and he could sue you for libel if it's not true. If you falsely say that someone committed a crime, that's always libel. Other statements about them could be libel if they can show that it causes them harm. Like if you say, "Mr Smith was born in Maryland" when he was born in Connecticut, the statement is provably false, but unless Smith can show that this error causes him some harm, he's not going to win a law suit.

That said, there are growing numbers of "hate speech" laws that you have to be wary of. Like, a representative of the US Justice Department recently told a newspaper that criticizing Islam on Facebook and other social media is a violation of Federal civil rights laws. www.tullahomanews.com/?p=15360
Regarding quoting public statements: As SF says, you need to read up on "fair use". Basically, you can use short quotes of statements that others have written or said for purposes of commentary, criticism, or education without getting their permission. The law is vague because the concept is vague. Like, there is no legal definition of "short". When someone sues, a judge decides it on a case-by-case basis.

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