Citizen Media Law Project Launches Online Legal Guide
Cambridge, MA – February 5, 2008 – The Citizen Media Law Project (CMLP) launched the first sections of its Citizen Media Legal Guide last week. The guide, intended for use by citizen media creators with or without formal legal training, addresses the legal issues that traditional and non-traditional journalists are likely to encounter as they gather information and publish their work online.
“There is a tremendous need for a comprehensive – yet approachable – guide to the legal issues faced by online publishers. As more journalists, whether professional or non-professional, begin to practice their craft online we hope that they can turn to this guide to help them understand the legal environment they are operating in,” said David Ardia, director and co-founder of the CMLP, an initiative to provide practical knowledge and tools for citizen media and to study the impact of law on online journalism.
The sections of the legal guide released so far include “Forming a Business and Getting Online,” which covers forming a for-profit or nonprofit business entity, choosing an online platform, and dealing with critical legal issues relating to the mechanics of online publishing, and “Dealing with Online Legal Risks,” which covers the legal issues involved in operating a blog or website, finding insurance, finding legal help, and responding to the different kinds of legal threats publishers may face as a result of their online activities.
Courtesy of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society (via press release).
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