The bloggers known as the Mayor of Claycord and the Mayor of Concord should watch out lest tactics cooked up by the thought police from Texas migrate to California.
It so happens that, according to CNET, “Texas passed a state law on September 1 that specifically targets those who “use another person’s name to post messages on a social-networking site without their permission and with the intent to harm, defraud, intimidate or threaten.” Such willful behavior is now a third-degree felony.”
So now the Austin Police Chief is going after local bloggers and commenters for assuming the names of City officials or have either impersonated him or his officers or maligned them beyond the boundaries of legal tolerance. Options under discussion appear to be not only libel suits, but also criminal charges if the police believe these are warranted.
“Legal tolerance?”
I guess this means no cheap shots at Chief Livingston and why he’ll run unopposed for Contra Costa Sheriff in 2010!
Dammit.
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So if someone was to use the name Glenn Beck and quote Glenn Beck’s rants exactly-would that mean that the copier would be prosecuted but the original statements would be ok relative to the “with the intent to harm, defraud, intimidate or threaten” part of the law?
This could be quite funny… and people say Texans have no sense of humor.
Uh-oh, you mean I could get busted for writing as a Claycord Councilcritter?