Defamatory or Libelous Content Policy
Caveat Emptor: We offer general information on this page, not legal advice.
Please consult a lawyer if you have a legal problem.
What is defamation?
Generally speaking,
defamation is the issuance of a false statement about
another person, which causes that person to suffer harm.
Slander involves
the making of defamatory statements by a transitory (non-fixed) representation,
usually an oral (spoken) representation.
Libel involves the making of
defamatory statements in a printed or fixed medium, such as a magazine,
newspaper or website. In simple terms, slander is defamation by speaking, and
libel is defamation by means of writing. Libel is the common type of defamation
that we as a service provider must deal with.
Libelous Online Content
A person who publishes a defamatory statement may be liable for doing so.
However, "
47 U.S.C. sec. 230" states that online service providers are
not publishers of content posted on their users' websites. Section 230 gives
ISPs the discretion to allow customers to practice free speech or have them
remove content, whichever they prefer, in response to claims by others that
content is defamatory or libelous.
The Internet is a public media, therefore we believe that serious defamation
issues should be resolved by public officials. We will not request that a
customer should remove or edit any website content until we receive a copy of a
court order declaring the statements defamatory. This immunity does not extend
to claims made under intellectual property laws, please see our DMCA section for
copyright infringement cases.
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While we make every effort to keep our most current terms posted on this site,
some policies may have changed for various reasons. Services on this site are
subject to change and availability. All terms on this site are
subject to change without written notice. Changes are affective immediately -
whether posted on this site or not. Contact our legal department by phone or in
writing for verbal confirmation of active policies. Additional terms may apply
to special services offered by our company. For example: Dedicated servers.
Please visit these service pages for additional terms and conditions of services
provided. DMI Web Hosting reserves the right to refuse service to anyone for any
reason at the discretion of management.