The Bloggers Guide to Legal and Insurance Matters

This is a guest post by Kristy Ramirez. To leave a guest post on this blog, please kindly check out our guest blogging guidelines.
Bloggers, like workers in any other field of activity, need to make sure they have all of their bases covered in terms of legal and insurance matters. Behind all the words contained in a blog is a human, and as we all share human frailties, life insurance is one sure fire way of covering all our financial bases should something go astray.
Life Insurance Goes Hand in Hand with General Insurance
A good life insurance cover goes hand in hand with other types of general insurance writers need. Writers in particular need to be protected in case of libel, which can occur when a blogger publishes a blog that is regarded by someone else as defaming their character. It is a civil misdemeanor that is considered to have harmed a complainant’s character or entity, thereby creating an atmosphere of ridicule or scorn against that person. A similar civil wrong against another person can be committed in a newspaper, magazine or book as well as over the air through a television or radio broadcast. Libel is not to be confused with slander which occurs when a statement that is false is uttered verbally against another but not published.
Cyberlibel is Online Libel
Libel that is published in a blog is known as cyberlibel. This particular type of defamation is committed through the internet and it can appear in chat rooms, emails and message boards as well as in blogs or on a personal website. For a charge of cyberlibel to succeed against a blogger the third party has to have received some manner of verifiable harm as a result of the blog having been posted. It is a serious matter that brings into the argument the issues of free speech and anonymity which is why many feel there is a growing need for new laws to be implemented to better regulate the reasonably new online medium of blogs.
Offending Statements Must Have Knowingly Been False
For a cyberlibel charge to succeed against a blogger the statement made must have knowingly been false when presented on the blog as a fact. This can sometimes be claimed to be an opinion which, in the United States, is protected under freedom of speech laws. In the blogger’s defense the damaging piece must be shown to be an opinion, not put forward as a fact. It is therefore important for all bloggers to protect their interests, and insurance is the most obvious way of doing that.  Insurance for bloggers can be especially important when a law suit can be expensive to defend, even if it does not ultimately succeed.
Cyberlibel Still a Grey Area
The world has still not quite come to terms with cyberlibel. Many are strongly resisting any control, stating that the internet is a unique medium in which free speech and the spread of information is important for the growth of democracy.  Others are arguing that the same laws that apply to newspapers and other printed media should equally apply to the web.  The difference between the traditional print media and web content however is that it is easier for an aggrieved person to make their own blog entry, post a refuting article, or respond on a message board than it is for them to secure the front page of their local newspaper. As a result, many agree that this lessens the need for any legal imposition to be created to further protect an aggrieved person’s reputation.
Examine Your Existing Cover
In most cases, if your blog is not business oriented your regular household insurance policy could give you sufficient cover, as most home-owner and some renter’s insurance policies give you automatic libel cover.  Although it will be unlikely that these policies will cover you for punitive damage, they will most likely cover you for legal costs and compensatory damage. This may vary between policies so it will pay you to check your particular cover out and if you find there is an exemption in your case you should look around for another. If your particular blog has no relationship to your calling, be it trade based or professional, you will probably find you have sufficient cover.
Additional libel insurance will have to be sought out if your blog will contribute in some way to your earnings. These assumptions have not been proven either way to date but if you don’t want to be the blogger who sets the precedent it might pay you to pay that extra amount of premium to make certain that you are protected.
Bloggers are not immune to illnesses and injury suffered by others in the community, so it is therefore an appropriate time to check all your policies as you take control of your protection against any possible libel lawsuits being brought against you. When you get all of your insurance policies up to date you will be better protected and therefore write more confident blogs. Even though you may feel less exposed to a damages claim, it will still be wise not to partake in anything that could be construed as being malicious in the blog you are publishing.
Kristy Ramirez writes for Life Insurance Finder where she helps people to compare life insurance quotes and select the best life insurance policy to meet their needs at the best possible price.
Bloggers who are members of the Authors Guild will find this organization can offer good advice in this area. You can also speak with your insurance advisor who will check out your regular household policy for you and fully explain its contents.