That's an opinion. I have the same opinion: I wouldn't trust JKR around my children, and if she wants to try and sue me for it she can see me in US court.
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JKR apparently felt it met the standards for libel. Spurling's lawyers apparently agreed. But Sam the web developer believes he knows better. In my judgement, you don't really care about vexatious litigation. You just want people to have free rein to attack a woman you dislike.
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Replying to @paul_smortions @MFnP and
JKR felt she had the money to hire lawyers for however long it was necessary, and Spurling knew even winning the lawsuit would be financially devastating. I have lawyers on retainer, and the US's defamation laws include anti-SLAPP provisions.
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It's pretty obvious that saying someone is a danger to children is grounds for a libel action. You don't care about that though.
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Replying to @paul_smortions @MFnP and
Look it up, Einstein. Opinions are not defamation under the law (either US or UK).
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"Rowling has made it clear that she can no longer be trusted around children". I was 20 years a journalist. I know, without question, that statement is over the line. It's not presented as an opinion.
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Replying to @paul_smortions @MFnP and
Whether or not someone can be trusted is an opinion.
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No it isn't. You can have an opinion on it, and you can voice that opinion. But if you state it as a fact you invite consequences. Had Spurling started with "in my opinion" or "I question whether" then she'd have been rather safer.
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Replying to @paul_smortions @Azuaron and
That's not what the honest opinion exemption says, at all
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Replying to @arthur_affect @Azuaron and
What can I tell you, that's how it works in practice. There's an old episode of HIGNFY where they start almost every sentence with allegedly to make the point.
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In practice if a billionaire really really wants to sue you for libel in the UK they get whatever they want That's kind of the whole issue
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Replying to @arthur_affect @Azuaron and
Ridiculous. UK courts are nothing like the US version.
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Replying to @paul_smortions @Azuaron and
Uh... yeah, they aren't, in that they are notoriously favorable to the plaintiff in a defamation suit
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