I want to add a place on one of my sites where people can list products they have for sale, press releases etc... I will probably charge a fee like $20. My question is, if one of these people is a scammer and someone gets scammed, am I liable? I am thinking of making it so that anyone who has a listing in the marketplace with items for sale has to link to their website for further details...It is not like I am going to be a middleman in the transaction, just a place where they can show a picture and have text. What do you think? It is not worth it for me if I have to do extensive legal agreements etc...
You can protect yourself from liability by having a TOS and disclaimer saying you accept no responsibility for what goes on there. Take a look at these forums or sitepoint as an example.
Actually, I wouldn't suggest the TOS here or at Sitepoint as good examples for what you're planning to do. Because of the type of business that you're looking at, something like craigslist or ebay would be a lot closer. Assuming you're not planning to hire an attorney to write them (which you really should), please make sure that you're not copying the TOS from either of the sites that I suggested. They are merely reference material that you should consult before attempting to craft your own TOS. Hope that helps. Deena ____________________________________________________________________________________ Any opinions are offered without knowledge of the specific law of your jurisdiction and with only the limited information provided in your post. No advice given here should be reasonably relied upon by you or any third party without consulting an attorney who is aware of all of the facts and law surrounding your situation. Any advice given here is not intended to create an attorney-client relationship in any way.