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  • Courtney Love Wins ‘Twibel’ Case

    Courtney Love won a Twitter libel case where she was accused of defaming an attorney in a tweet she posted back in 2010.

    Love’s case marks the first time ever that a court has heard a libel suit against someone using a social media site like Twitter. Courtney Love hired attorney Rhonda Holmes to represent her for a fraud case regarding her late husband Kurt Cobain’s estate. In her tweet she hinted that Holmes had been bought off.

    Her tweet said, “I was (expletive) devastated when Rhonda J Holmes Esq of san diego was bought off” in response to a question from another Twitter user. That account has since been deleted.

    Holmes in turn sued Love for defamation–seeking $8 million. Her attorneys wanted jurors to consider sending a message to those who use social media irresponsibly–as in making false statements.

    The verdict in this case came Friday following about three hours of jury deliberation for the case initially referred to as “Twibel”–the first time Twitter and a libel suit had intersected. The jurors reportedly determined that Courtney Love’s tweet did in fact include false information, but found that she wasn’t aware that it wasn’t true. Courtney Love was all tooo happy to thank her attorneys–via her new Twitter account–following the reading of the verdict Friday.

    Mitchell Langberg, one of the attorneys representing Rhonda Holmes in the “Twibel” suit says his client is disappointed, but relieved to know that “the world now knows that Love’s statements were false.”

    “At the end of the day, her biggest asset in life is her reputation,” Langberg said. “That she got back today.”

    Do you think Courtney Love dodged a big, fast bullet on this one? She certainly isn’t known for having a stellar reputation. This can’t have been an easy case for this jury too deliberate. There are very few people alive today who don’t know who Courtney Love is, and what some of her past entails.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Courtney Love Twibel Verdict Will Be a Game Changer

    Who would have ever guessed that Courtney Love would be involved in a court case that could set major precedent over internet defamation laws? Currently, social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook are a bit like the Wild West. A person can usually pretty much say whatever they want about another person and not worry about a lawsuit. That could all change depending on the verdict of Courtney Love’s current trial. The case is cleverly being called a “Twibel” suit.

    Love’s case is the first time a court has heard a libel suit against a person using Twitter. The case was brought against the Hole lead singer after Love posted a tweet in 2010 which hinted that her former lawyer Rhonda Holmes, who Love hired for a fraud case concerning her late husband Kurt Cobain’s estate, had been “bought off.” Love posted from her now defunct twitter page @CourtneyLoveUK: @noozjunkie I was f***ing devastated when Rhonda J Holmes Esq of san diego was bought off @fairnewsspears perhaps you can get a quote.

    Holmes subsequently sued Love in 2011 for defamation. Love took the witness stand on Wednesday. She claimed that she thought the tweet would only reach two people, not the whole world wide web. She also defended her Twitter rights, stating that her tweet was just her own personal opinion.

    The trial should finish up sometime next week. An attorney named Brian Claypool, who is not part of the Love case, spoke of the importance of the verdict. “The Courtney Love Twitter lawsuit is monumental because the judge has now determined that tweeting in California can potentially give rise to liability under the theory of defamation. The Courtney Love case will set a precedent that will result in, potentially, the average person being liable as well.”

    This is not the first time Love has gotten into trouble with Twitter. In 2011, she tweeted several disparaging remarks about fashion designer Dawn Simorangkir. The designer sued Love for defamation, but the case never went to trial. Love reportedly paid Simorangkir a $430,000 settlement.

    Image via Twitter