ILLINOIS is my state. QUESTION: I have a workmanship issue regarding work performed on my home which the contractor refuses to address. We’ve had several email exchanges. Can I publish his email reply’s ? I’d like to include those reply’s in my reviews (Yelp, etc.).
Copyright protects all creative and original works fixed in a tangible form so, yes, emails technically can be protected under copyright laws.
I would avoid copying and publishing the emails on a review site.
Unless there was a mutual understanding/expectation that the content of the emails would not be shared with others, you can disclose what was discussed.
What you write should be fair and balanced. Do not embellish or exaggerate or generalize. You should stick to the facts of your one personal experience. Let the readers of your review come to their own conclusions.
Zigner has a better course of action for you to take. If you have a problem with a contractor, sue. Writing a review about the contractor potentially can get
you sued.