This paper addresses some of the legal considerations that should be borne in mind by the adviser to an electronic publisher. In order to do that it is necessary to understand what electronic publishing entails. Then I shall look at the two principal areas of law that have traditionally governed all publishing activity, namely defamation and copyright to see what developments are occurring in those disciplines that may be of relevance to electronic publishing. Finally, I will take a brief look at the way the new database right may have significant importance for electronic publishers.
