A qualified privilege protects

a. those who have the capacity to act in the public interest, such as prosecutors, when they make defamatory statements.

b. someone who makes a defamatory statement for the purpose of gaining a competitive advantage.

c. those who make defamatory statements to protect their own interests, no matter how insignificant those interests are, as long as they are sufficiently important, and the defamation is directly related to those elements.

d. all of the above.