Legalities of the Internet, Socially

So I read the chapter regarding the legal boundaries when writing in the cyber space and I pretty much got a good understanding for the do's and don't's.

I respect the laws for intellectual property. In this day and age where everyone's out for their own gain, I can see someone taking someone else's thoughts or ideas and running with them to build something of their own.

But what I really want to talk about is the laws for libel and defamation..

When I was younger, I used to go on various internet forums on the iternet that catered to my interests (sounds corny, I know, I had my reasons)...and that's when I learned that the internet is not for the feint at heart.
On another forum, a guy was cheated on by his girlfriend. For revenge, he released her phone number, address, facebook, and promiscuous pictures of her to the users of that forum. May I add that that forum is one of the most popular forums on the internet. (Just know that it's one of those, I don't want to post the site and knowing this site, they probably deleted the event from it's archives.)

Drama ensued...

After her phone number was out there, dozens of dudes were hitting this chick up harrassing her life...

Her character wasn't defamed, it was raped. Her soul was raped.

She said that she was going to call her lawyers implying that she was going to sue him, but nothing happened. He lived to post again.

I didn't think much of the incident until I read this chapter. Now I want to know if she had grounds to sue him...and win.

While it was a derogatory, defaming, and a privacy issue...it was all true...and morally, cheating is looked at as unforgivable...but did it warrant all of this?

edit: I found a video documenting the whole thing...lol View Here

So I pose you this question...

What do you think?

Do you think the girlfriend (the cheater) would have won a libel or invasion of privacy case in a court of law for this incident?

Do you think L_Erwin's (the cheatee) actions were justified?


-Majid

mtejanjalloh1@hotmail.com