libel

Shirley Sherrod Sues Andrew Breitbart

Jim Newell · 02/14/11 03:06PM

Shirley Sherrod, who was fired from her USDA job last year after Andrew Breitbart posted online an edited video of her, has filed a lawsuit for libel and slander against Breitbart in D.C. Superior Court. The suit was filed on Friday, and Breitbart was served with it this weekend, while attending the Conservative Political Action Conference, according to The New York Times.

Stephen Colbert Defends Blood Libel and 'The Right to Rage'

Madeleine Davies · 01/13/11 02:02PM

During the Wørd segment of last night's Colbert Report, Stephen responded to those calling for a more reasonable and eloquent political discourse. "You know who else was eloquent?" he asks. "Hitler."

England Is Now Safe For Irony

Hamilton Nolan · 12/14/08 11:47AM

A "landmark" court ruling in the UK means that it is now legal to make jokes there (without having to pay millions in defamation damages). Jokes about Elton John, especially.

Times Interview Causes Multibillion-Dollar Indian Lawsuit

Hamilton Nolan · 09/29/08 04:01PM

Wow, this is a proud mark of the global influence of the financially puny New York Times: a story it did in June has prompted one of the world's richest men to sue his own brother for more than $2 billion. Awesome! Anil Ambani says that his brother Mukesh (they each inherited half of the massive Indian conglomerate Reliance) smeared his good name in the Times, so he had no choice but to sue him, the Times, and two Indian papers for 100 billion rupees. Here's the offending passage that set him off:

Nazi Orgy Lawsuit May Kill UK Gossip Industry

Pareene · 07/10/08 11:57AM

UK privacy laws continue to get stricter and stricter, and it's all thanks to Nazis. Or in this case, high-profile sons of prominent Nazi-sympathizers who may or may not get some sort of sexual satisfaction out of Nazi roleplay. Max Mosley is in charge of Formula One racing and some other gay European motorsports. He is the son of Oswald Mosley, the "Mr. Oswald with the Swastika tattoo" from that one Elvis Costello song. Oswald was a famous British fascist who hung out with Hitler all the time. Max claims he isn't a Nazi though he's now forced to admit in court that he loves sado-masochism. He's forced to admit this because of a lawsuit he brought which threatens the very industry of celebrity gossip in the UK.

Worst Player In Tennis Sues Media Over Name-Calling

Hamilton Nolan · 06/11/08 11:52AM

The UK's stupid libel laws allow people to successfully sue the media for making fun of them. So Robert Dee, a 21-year-old British guy who is the world's Worst Professional Tennis Player, is suing three newspapers there for pointing out that he is, in fact, the Worst Professional Tennis Player. Mainly, this makes us glad to be in America, where we're free to tell you that Robert Dee is the Worst Professional Tennis Player. But also, the facts aren't even on his side; it sure sounds like he really is the Worst Professional Tennis Player!: