Americans who dislike JK Rowling are using the first amendment to fight back against the Harry Potter author after she allegedly launched another lawsuit over a tweet. Americans, who are largely unaffected by UK defamation laws due to the US constitution and their residence in a different jurisdiction, are using this opportunity to shed a light on Rowling’s power and how she’s allegedly using her money and influence to take down her critics.
According to the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK libel law allows an individual or companies to defend their reputation through the court system if they believe that they’ve been defamed and it has caused harm to their reputation. Lately, these laws have seen a lot of British critics of Rowling’s having to apologize or walk back their comments.
American critics caught wind of this and used this opportunity to criticize Rowling for suing those who don’t agree with her.
Critics also agreed that Rowling shouldn’t be taking down the opposition through lawsuits since it hinders free speech. They also feel that the move unjust and shows that the author is taking down anyone who doesn’t agree with her views.
JJ Welles’s apology marks the second known incident where someone has had to apologize on social media for their criticism of Rowling. If this keeps going, it’s going to further cement the idea that wealthy people can shut down their critics with a simple lawsuit. At the moment, there isn’t any news if either Wellles or @no1guncle will challenge Rowling.