Cyber Libel

A major element of McConchie Law Corporation’s defamation practice involves Internet websites, blogs and social media.  Libelous communications may also take the form of emails, text messages, electronic press releases, domain names, YouTube videos, Instagram photos, tweets, reviews, ratings sites, and fake Linked-in profiles.  The defamation cases handled by McConchie Law Corporation involve all these forms of electronic media.

Cyber Libel has touched every occupation, vocation, profession, industry.  This fact is reflected in the broad scope of our defamation practice.

Cyber Libel is often anonymous.  By its nature, it is often international in origin and scope of publication.  Effectively addressing Cyber Libel has required that McConchie Law Corporation to network with forensic computer consultants, information technology professions, and legal advisors and agents in many foreign jurisdictions.  In many situations, our lawyers grapple with complex issues of jurisdiction arising from electronic libels which originate in the United States, Europe, Asia or elsewhere.  Increasingly, Roger D. McConchie and Alan McConchie find themselves representing clients who are concerned about Cyber Libel in foreign languages.

In addition to representing clients, individual and corporate, who are plaintiffs or defendants in lawsuits,  Alan McConchie and Roger D. McConchie are regularly retained to advises and assist clients in having defamatory content removed from Canadian or foreign websites, blogs or social media without the need for court action.  They are also frequently tasked to provide pre-publication advise to lower the risk of client liability for defamatory expression in electronic communications.

McConchie Law Corporation frequently takes steps on behalf of defamed clients to unmask anonymous defamers.  Where that cannot be accomplished by means of a forensic investigation, our lawyers may take proceedings in Canadian courts or foreign jurisdictions, including the United States, and may employ local lawyers in the foreign jurisdiction to obtain foreign court orders or subpoenas as necessary.

Alan McConchie and Roger D. McConchie are often called upon by news media to comment on new and emerging libel issues related to social media and other sources of Cyber Libel.

The cases summarized on the McConchie Law Corporation Cyber Libel webpage offer a glimpse into the complexities of Internet defamation which this law firm addresses on a daily basis.

See our extensive list of court summaries related to Cyber Libel here.