The legal side of blogging for lawyers

cover image

Where to find it

Law Library — 2nd Floor Collection (2nd floor)

Call Number
KF320.I57 C37 2014
Status
Available

Summary

Written by a blogger for bloggers, The Legal Side of Blogging for Lawyers addresses the full scope of legal issues that accompany blogging, including intellectual property, criminal law, employment law, professional conduct, and much more. In this book, experienced attorney Ruth Carter explains your rights as a blogger, discusses real-life examples of what can go wrong, and offers advice about how to avoid the common legal pitfalls of blogging.

Contents

  • About the Author p. i
  • Acknowledgments p. xiii
  • Disclaimer p. xv
  • Introduction The Undeniable Ruth p. 1
  • My Rule of Thumb p. 3
  • Chapter 1 Blogging and the First Amendment p. 5
  • The Right to be Anonymous p. 6
  • Not All Speech Is Protected p. 8
  • The Difference Between Fact and Opinion p. 11
  • Chapter 2 Copyright Basics p. 15
  • Copyright Rights p. 16
  • What is a Derivative Work? p. 17
  • Automatic Copyright Protection p. 18
  • Copyright Applies to Expression, Not Ideas or Facts p. 19
  • Transferring a Copyright p. 21
  • Releasing Your Work into the Public Domain p. 23
  • Chapter 3 Integrating Others' Work into Your Blog p. 25
  • Fair Use p. 25
  • Creative Commons Images p. 30
  • When In Doubt, Ask Permission p. 31
  • Chapter 4 Copyright Registration p. 33
  • How to Register Your Blog p. 33
  • Blogs Are Not Serial Works p. 35
  • Blogs Might Be Derivative Works p. 36
  • When Is a Blog Published? p. 36
  • Should You Register Your Blog Copyrights? p. 37
  • Registering a Blog Written Anonymously or Pseudonymously p. 40
  • Chapter 5 Protecting Your Copyright p. 43
  • Policing the Internet for Copyright Infringement p. 44
  • Digital Millennium Copyright Act p. 45
  • If Someone Sends a DMCA Takedown Notice to Your Web Host p. 48
  • Should You Register a DMCA Agent? p. 50
  • Be Aware of DMCA Abuse p. 51
  • Chapter 6 Blogging for Others p. 53
  • Blogging as an Employee p. 54
  • Independent Contractors p. 55
  • Are You an Employee or an Independent Contractor? p. 57
  • Licensing Your Blog Content p. 58
  • Chapter 7 Protecting Confidential Sources p. 61
  • Chapter 8 Legal Risks with Allowing Comments and Guest Posts on Your Blog p. 65
  • Responding to Blog Comments p. 66
  • Benefits of Blog Comments p. 66
  • Legal Risks Related to Blog Comments p. 67
  • Consider Creating Terms of Service for Your Blog p. 68
  • Legal Risks with Guest Posts on Your Blog p. 69
  • Create a Work Made for Hire Contract p. 69
  • Indemnify Yourself. p. 70
  • Other Contract Provisions p. 71
  • Register a DMCA Agent with the Copyright Office p. 72
  • Alternative to Guest Posts p. 73
  • Chapter 9 Defamation p. 75
  • Defamation Cases Involving Anonymous Persons p. 78
  • Public vs. Private Persons p. 80
  • Defamation of a Public Person p. 80
  • Defamation of a Private Person p. 81
  • Defamation Defenses p. 82
  • Defense 1 The statement was true p. 83
  • Defense 2 The statement was "substantially true." p. 83
  • Defense 3 No one would believe that the statement in question was asserting a fact p. 84
  • Defense 4 There was no malice p. 84
  • Defense 5 There was no reputational damage p. 85
  • Chapter 10 Invasion of Privacy and Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress p. 87
  • Invasion of Privacy-False Light p. 88
  • Invasion of Privacy-Public Disclosure of Private Facts p. 90
  • Invasion of Privacy-Intrusion into Seclusion p. 90
  • Invasion of Privacy-Misappropriation or Commercialization p. 91
  • Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress p. 92
  • Chapter 11 Blogging and Trademark Law p. 95
  • What's a Trademark? p. 95
  • Scope of Trademark Protection p. 96
  • What's the Difference Between TM and ®? p. 99
  • How to Register a Trademark p. 99
  • Trademark Problems Related to Blogs p. 100
  • Chapter 12 Jurisdictional Issues p. 105
  • Personal Jurisdiction p. 105
  • Subject Matter jurisdiction p. 106
  • Which State Law Applies? p. 107
  • Chapter 13 Getting Fired Because of Your Slog p. 111
  • National Labor Relations Act p. 112
  • What You Can Blog About Without Being Fired p. 114
  • How Your Blog Can Get You Fired p. 116
  • This Is a Gray Area p. 117
  • Chapter 14 Getting Arrested Because of Your Blog p. 119
  • Threats of Violence p. 119
  • Threats Against the President of the United States p. 120
  • Cyberharassment p. 121
  • Illegal Sales p. 122
  • Solicitation p. 122
  • Chapter 15 Death by Blogging p. 125
  • Chapter 16 Benefits of Being a Legal Blogger p. 129
  • Establish Expertise and Build Credibility p. 130
  • Leverage Your Blog for Other Opportunities p. 131
  • Show Your Personality p. 133
  • Build Relationships Through Conversations p. 135
  • Blogging Is a Commitment p. 136
  • The Risk of Giving It Away for Free p. 137
  • Chapter 17 Ethical Issues with Having a Legal Blog p. 141
  • Does a Legal Blog Constitute Advertising? p. 142
  • Avoiding Solicitation p. 144
  • Disclaimers p. 145
  • Blogging about Your Cases p. 148
  • Responding to Requests for Advice p. 149
  • Disclosing Relationships When You Get Free Merchandise and Opportunities p. 150
  • Legal Issues Related to Testimonials from Clients and Peer Recommendations p. 152
  • Paid Links p. 152
  • Compliance and Penalties for Violating This Rule p. 153
  • Chapter 18 Promoting Your Blog p. 157
  • Be Mindful of Your Ethical Rules p. 157
  • Write Quality Content p. 158
  • Create an Action Plan to Promote Your Blog p. 159
  • Make Yourself Easy to Find with Keywords p. 160
  • Go to Your Readers p. 161
  • Interact and Be Responsive p. 163
  • Be Controversial p. 164
  • Use Your Network p. 165
  • Guest Blogging for Others p. 166
  • Take Your Interactions into the Real World p. 166
  • Be Patient but Persistent p. 167
  • Chapter 19 Final Thoughts p. 169
  • How to Grow a Thick Skin p. 170
  • Be Authentic p. 171
  • Be Bold p. 171
  • Afterword From the Blogging Trenches-The Namby Pamby p. 173
  • Appendix A State and Federal Laws Related to Blogging p. 177
  • Appendix B Online Resources Related to Blogging p. 201
  • Appendix C Additional Books on Blogging and Social Media Marketing p. 203
  • Index p. 205

Other details