I want to be sure to get the best answer possible so this will be detailed. I am a publisher of a new magazine. The publication will come out in November. I was being really private with my information, because I worked from home. I would use freelance writers to help out. Well the agreement I used stated that each article they write I would pay $50. Well two of the writers didn't like the price or terms of the agreement. Also because I didn't have a website up they said I was a false company, and that it was a scam, that I was just trying to take there articles and resell them. Well they have gone so far to post information like this calling my company a scam, saying bad things and say I am stealing work. Keep in mind I have not paid anyone and am not required to pay until the magazine publishes. Now the information has cause advertisers I had lined up to pull out, celebrities I had featured to pullout, and other writers to default on their contracts because of this false information. Also keep I mind that my website was under development and the company information would have been released when the magazine launched to protect against PR issues, I have even agreed to have my magazine distributed through a major national distributor. My magazine is also registered with the Library of Congress and has an ISSN, on top of that my corporate site will be live soon, and final my company is a newly registered Texas C-Corporation. So what can I do? This information is on search engines and linked to my company name when people search for it, which has caused advertisers to pullout. They have always been able to contact me via email, voicemail, or private address. And the only reason why I work from home is to save capital I will need later when I expand operations.
So because of this I have lost $25,000 in contracts, set back on production and printing which will cost me $50,000 and not having celebrity guess on features has cost me wasted time and money about $20,000 worth so all and all this false, information has cost me almost $100,000 can I sue for defamation? Libel or Slander and sue for damage to my business because of unfounded false claims? Please help any advice would help. This has hurt me I am a nice person just trying to make a dream come true and have never hurt anyone.
So because of this I have lost $25,000 in contracts, set back on production and printing which will cost me $50,000 and not having celebrity guess on features has cost me wasted time and money about $20,000 worth so all and all this false, information has cost me almost $100,000 can I sue for defamation? Libel or Slander and sue for damage to my business because of unfounded false claims? Please help any advice would help. This has hurt me I am a nice person just trying to make a dream come true and have never hurt anyone.