Internet Slander...HELP

[tfry1]

I was in a chatroom that I frequent quit often and have become friends with people in that specific room. A man comes into the room and asked me to chat, I told him that he was not my type. He proceeded to go into the room telling everyone that i have Aid's and that i have intercourse with people and not tell them. He continues to tell them that he knows this because his sister works at the clinic I go to.

I want to sue him for slander. I have a copy of our personal chat and what was said in the room. Do I have a case?

 

[Michael Wechsler]

I was in a chatroom that I frequent quit often and have become friends with people in that specific room. A man comes into the room and asked me to chat, I told him that he was not my type. He proceeded to go into the room telling everyone that i have Aid's and that i have intercourse with people and not tell them. He continues to tell them that he knows this because his sister works at the clinic I go to.

I want to sue him for slander. I have a copy of our personal chat and what was said in the room. Do I have a case?

Does anyone in the chat know who you are or is this just a case where everyone has screen names?

In this instance you might have a suit for libel, since the chat is written not spoken. However, if nobody knows your identity, you might not be able to make a case or the damages might be insignificant.

Most of all, you could not bring a case for defamation in most small claims courts that I am aware since they do not have jurisdiction, the ability to hear and rule, cases involving defamation. That would involve filing (and a higher fee) in a higher court.

 

[ozyjimbo]

what if the person was identified

what if a person was identified in the case with tfry1 i mean lets face it that everyone has an ip number and can be traced back i'm going through the same problem where i have been called a child molester and pedophile in a yahoo chat room that i frequent not only has this person called me this in main chat but has also said these things in private messages to ppl i chat with there is no use going to the yahoo abuse center as they do nothing at all this type of thing needs to be stamped out and action needs to be taken if we right a letter defamming someone we could be liable why is it not the same in a chat room???

 

[Michael Wechsler]

The problem is that "tracing" isn't as easy as you think. I'll try to simplify this example:

- Do you know this individual's IP address? Chances are no with a screen name.
- Getting the IP address from a large company like Yahoo may be difficult if not impossible, if they even have a log for this individual's IP address.
- The IP address may have been "spoofed" or could be a shared IP address from a large ISP like netcom.
- If shared, then you would have to then contact the ISP to see if they can locate who was using the IP address at a certain time and date.
- If you find the individual who owns the account, that account may be shared by several different people.

As you can see, unless there is a significant financial incentive the time and money invested to find out this information makes this a difficult challenge for justice. The low barriers to the Internet creates a Pandora's Box of problems that cannot be easily remedied.

what if a person was identified in the case with tfry1 i mean lets face it that everyone has an ip number and can be traced back i'm going through the same problem where i have been called a child molester and pedophile in a yahoo chat room that i frequent not only has this person called me this in main chat but has also said these things in private messages to ppl i chat with there is no use going to the yahoo abuse center as they do nothing at all this type of thing needs to be stamped out and action needs to be taken if we right a letter defamming someone we could be liable why is it not the same in a chat room???