Hello Classmates and Professor,

1. This is product disparagement. Product disparagement is false statements which are also slander about products of a business from another company relating to its business, products, and abilities. The criteria for that are "...(1) a false statement about a particular business product or about its service in terms of honesty, reputation, ability, or integrity; (2) communication of the statement to a third party; and (3) damages" (E-text, p. 179).

In a way, this is also defamatory. Defamatory is an "untrue statement by one party about another to a third party" (E-text, p. 177). In this lawsuit, this is a business matter and not individual people like how the e-text example explained it as a personal matter. If I'm not mistaken this can be considered defamatory because the party who reported would say the untrue statement would be ABC News about the South Dakota meat processing company to the public who would be the third party.

1. For a situation to be deemed defamation the criteria for that are "(1) a statement about a person's reputation, honesty, or integrity that is untrue; (2) publication (accomplished when a third party hears or reads the defamatory statement); (3) a statement directed at a particular person; and (4) damages that result from the statement" (E-text, p. 177). The definition was provided in answer #1.

4. Defamation is state laws

Reference:

Jennings, D.P.T.M. M. (2014).Anderson's Business Law and the Legal Environment, Comprehensive Volume. [VitalSource Bookshelf]. Retrieved fromhttps://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781285633145/