Can You Be Sued for What You Write in a Letter
My question involves defamation in the state of: Hawaii
Hello,
My question is, if you are writing a private letter to a company and you say that they are an unethical and corrupt company (I truly believe that), is it considered slander?
Thank you,
JasonJ
Re: Can You Be Sued for What You Write in a Letter
Quote:
Quoting
JasonJ
My question involves defamation in the state of: Hawaii
Hello,
My question is, if you are writing a private letter to a company and you say that they are an unethical and corrupt company (I truly believe that), is it considered slander?
Thank you,
JasonJ
The person who reads the letter is not the "corporation", so that could be considered publication. But, since there are unlikely to be damages for such a statement, I think it unlikely you would be sued. It is when statements are widely publicized that a corporation suffers damages and, even if they do not, they will sometimes sue to remove the statement. (aka SLAPP)
But, if you want a specific, legal, answer to your question if this is on a test, "no".
Re: Can You Be Sued for What You Write in a Letter
Quote:
Quoting
Welfarelvr
The person who reads the letter is not the "corporation", so that could be considered publication.
I'm going to disagree with you on this. An employee of a corporation is an agent of the corporation. Under common law the acts of the agent are the acts of the corporation. An employee who is authorized to open and read mail is doing so for the corporation.
Whoever acts through another does the act himself.
Re: Can You Be Sued for What You Write in a Letter
Quote:
Quoting
JasonJ
My question involves defamation in the state of: Hawaii
Hello,
My question is, if you are writing a private letter to a company and you say that they are an unethical and corrupt company (I truly believe that), is it considered slander?
Thank you,
JasonJ
First in answer to your title question: Yes, you can be sued for what you write in a letter. But you would not be sued for "slander." Slander is the oral or spoken form of defamation. Libel is its written form.
That said, unless in the private letter to the company you singled out a specific person or specific people as being unethical or corrupt, the private letter to the company could not be the basis of a successful defamation claim. You have caused no harm to the reputation of the company.
Re: Can You Be Sued for What You Write in a Letter
suggesting that a company can actually read its own mail and by allowing or directing the ceo or other employee of the company to read the company's mail amounts to publishing it is just downright funny.
shame on the company for making the ceo read its mail.
bad company. shame, shame, shame
Re: Can You Be Sued for What You Write in a Letter
Quote:
Quoting
jk
suggesting that a company can actually read its own mail and by allowing or directing the ceo or other employee of the company to read the company's mail amounts to publishing it is just downright funny.
shame on the company for making the ceo read its mail.
bad company. shame, shame, shame
Just can't ignore me, can you? The best part was how you tried in some other threads to reply without really replying. Yet, the structure of the response followed my own. Good times indeed.
Quote:
(psssst, he doesn't stop even when you have proven him to be wrong. In fact, even if he admits he is wrong he may still argue he is right)
It is especially funny when people who just say things without citations consider themselves to have "proved" me wrong. Even though I'm the only one making legal arguments.
- - - Updated - - -
Quote:
Quoting
aardvarc
We HAVE legitimately argued such. Re-read what it means "to publish". Writing a letter ABOUT a company TO the company, or it's agents, isn't publication.
Sorry, wrong again. Please read the thread from the beginning. Publishing to agents IS publication.
There are some links on Google if you seek the previously cited:
Brown V. Elm City Lumber Co., 1914, 167 N.C. 9, 82 S.E. 961
http://goo.gl/0B5ugw (Will take you to the old case.)
Re: Can You Be Sued for What You Write in a Letter
What part of "It's time for you to be quiet on this topic because you have no idea what you're talking about" was unclear to you?
Out you go.
Re: Can You Be Sued for What You Write in a Letter
I don't care HOW many cites one cares to throw up - if they're INACCURATE or INAPPLICABLE....'nuff said. =)