On-line Conduct

Courts across the country have found that on-line conduct can become harmful and that injured parties have legal remedies available to them, even if the laws involved do not pertain specifically to computers or the Internet. One must also consider the consequences of laws, not only in one's own state, but those of other states and other countries. The Internet today has very few boundaries it does not cross. In fact, the Internet transcends state and national boundaries and fosters human interaction that might not have occurred otherwise.

While using the Internet to find information may seem a passive, innocuous activity, there are laws that may be involved with even the most casual on-line surfing. Consider these factors:

1. Accessing Web or other Internet sites in other states may subject you to jurisdiction there, in some cases.
2. Viewing advertisements on Internet sites entitles you to the safeguards of consumer protection laws.
3. Retrieving information from the Internet through a Web browser or other means may connect you with electronic agents such as personalized information gathering services.
4. Finding information that defames someone else on-line and then republishing that information in any form may make you liable for the tort of defamation.
5. Assuming that all material you find on-line is protected by copyright is your best bet unless you specifically learn that it is in the public domain. (Remember that there are both civil and criminal penalties for copyright infringements.)