If u r texting/online lots, u may need > insurance.

Active contributors to blogs or social-networking sites like MySpace, Facebook or Twitter value the freedom of expression those channels provide.

But many users could benefit from a word of warning: Don't set yourself up for a lawsuit.

Loose lips used to sink ships well before the age of computers, but now the potential for damage is so much greater.

"These types of exposures aren't new, but social media has created new venues," said Peter Spicer, a personal-risk specialist at the Chubb Group of Insurance Cos.

In the past, he noted, a person with a gripe would write a damning letter to a newspaper editor, who might edit out the hazardous material or ignore the message altogether.

But today, anyone can post anything at any time about anyone - and some of that stuff could come back to bite the sender.

"(Messages) now become part of the permanent record of the Internet and can be viewed instantly by billions of people around the world," Spicer noted.

Hence the wisdom of checking your insurance policy to see if you have protection - and adding coverage if you need more.

Internet defamation lawsuits are a rising peril as more people go online.

"The number (of cases) is going up each year and will continue to increase," said Sandra Baron, executive director of the Media Law Resource Center in New York.

In one high-profile case filed in March, Dawn Simorangkir charged musician Courtney Love with libel, invasion of privacy and more after Love posted unflattering comments about the fashion designer in the wake of a business deal that soured.

Eric Robinson, an attorney at the Media Law Resource Center, analyzed 256 recent cases against bloggers who posted contentious material, including some using MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. His research revealed:



� Common complaints involve allegations of criminal or inappropriate behavior as well as gripes against people, businesses or other entities.

Other reasons for filing lawsuits include posting of private information or false profiles about someone else.



� Businesses bring many of the lawsuits. So do public officials, judges and educators.



� Libel, or defamation in written form, is a common blog lawsuit issue. So are copyright infringement, harassment/stalking, invasion of privacy and trademark issues.



� While many lawsuits get dismissed or withdrawn, some have resulted in restraining orders, the removal of contentious material, settlements and, in a few cases, damages.

"Thus far, plaintiffs do not have a strong record of success," wrote Robinson in the report.

Even so, the time, stress and cost of defending a suit should give bloggers reason for pause.

Insurance can help fund legal defenses and pay monetary awards or settlements. But not all types of insurance do the trick.

Standard homeowners policies don't provide coverage for libel or its spoken equivalent, slander, Spicer said. For that, you typically need to add coverage with an endorsement or rider.

You also can get this coverage, along with higher dollar amounts of protection generally, with an umbrella policy.

The added cost can be as little as a few more dollars a month, depending on the amount of coverage.

People who run revenue-generating blog sites might need enhanced defamation protection with a commercial policy, which also typically covers invasion of privacy, plagiarism and copyright/trademark breaches. These policies also are more costly.

Besides Chubb, other insurers offering business protection include Argo Insurance, First Media and One Beacon Insurance.

Many carriers that offer homeowners insurance also sell riders or umbrella policies.

"Bloggers often start out as hobbyists but sometimes wind up making a living from it," Spicer said.

"If you make money from a blog, you might not have adequate protection under a homeowners or umbrella policy."

While insurance is helpful and might be imperative, the first line of defense is common sense.

"If you don't know something is factual and you're speaking about an entity or individual, even if you're repeating it, then don't say it," Spicer said.

People posting anonymous comments also should be careful, Baron said, because the plaintiff in a lawsuit could ask the court to subpoena records revealing the person's identity.

She recommends insurance and suggests bloggers spend some time learning the basics about libel, privacy, copyrights and trademarks.

"Many of the people who post online have a sense that the Internet is a law-free zone, more of a conversation," she said.

But as the rising number of lawsuits attests, conversations can get expensive.

Reach Wiles at russ.wiles@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8616.