You Can Be Sued For Your Posts

Copyright issues related to social media posts are a concern as platforms are shutting down accounts without notice

- Latha Jishnu

LAST MONTH, Pratik Sinha, the crusader behind AltNews, an online media service that debunks fake news, wrote on Twitter that the usual targets of his investigation, supporters of right-wing views, were now using the logo of his website @AltNews on their graphics to increase the credibility of their posts! It was a supreme irony.

I was curious to know if Sinha would be suing those misusing his logo, which has become synonymous with well-researched and credible exposes, to spread more distorted or fake news. Sinha appeared to be chuffed by the compliment that his detractors had paid him, but said he had no time for the legal runaround that such an attempt would entail. If he did sue, Sinha would have a solid case since he had applied to register the @ AltNews trademark for his fact checking website over four months ago. He could also have sought compensation for the damages that such misuse had inflicted on the reputation of his website.