£50k has been awarded to a US law firm by an English court for abusive comments posted on Google profile. In the case of Bussey Law Firm PC and Timothy Raymond Bussey v Jason Page (aka Jay Page) [2015] EWHC 563 (QB) (from 6 March 2015) the English High Court has awarded damages to a US law firm based in the State of Colorado for defamatory comments placed by an English resident in a Google profile of the American lawyers.
There was no defence of truth lodged by the defendant individual and other comments on the internet had rated the law firm as “excellent.”
The court stated that the purpose of compensatory general damages was threefold: for the hurt feelings and distress, for injury to reputation, as well as bearing in mind the need to award a sum which will serve as an outward and visible sign of vindication.
It was also indicated that an injunction would have been available if there had been any indication of the conduct being repeated by the defendant against the plaintiff.
see also The Law Society Gazette, 6 March 2015
