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Yes, bad agencies have threatened people for years by suggesting that they could be sued for libel. As far as I know not a single case has ever been successfully brought. The administrator of the Yahoo Agency Research Group has some great research on this, if you join the group I'm sure he would share.
And remember that repeating stories online you've heard from other people is not libel, even if you KNOW they're untrue.
From Chicago Law Review:
"Suppose a national magazine, like Time or Newsweek, were to run an article written by a freelancer falsely accusing you of a heinous crime, say murder. Further, suppose Time or Newsweek knew that the accusation was false, but decided to print it in their magazine anyway. If the magazine did so, you could sue (the magazine) for defamation for knowingly distributing an article that falsely accused you of a crime."
However, if the same magazine posted the story on its Web site or e-mailed it to subscribers, "you would have no legal recourse against the magazine."
This is why fake pictures, Sarah Palin's emails (although illegally obtained), and lies about celebrities are fine to post online while the National Enquirer can be sued for libel.
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