Can you get into legal trouble for blogging? The number of stories about bloggers being fired, harassed, jailed, kidnapped, and even killed seems to be on the rise. While the latter two haven’t happened in the U.S. as yet (or nobody’s told me if they have) you should be aware of the legal issues surrounding your blogging activities.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, easily the staunchest defenders of liberty online, have put together a Legal Guide for Bloggers covering various legal issues you may run into while blogging.

Like all journalists and publishers, bloggers sometimes publish information that other people don’t want published. You might, for example, publish something that someone considers defamatory, republish an AP news story that’s under copyright, or write a lengthy piece detailing the alleged crimes of a candidate for public office. … None of this should stop you from blogging. Freedom of speech is the foundation of a functioning democracy, and Internet bullies shouldn’t use the law to stifle legitimate free expression. — EFF

The guide is comprised of nine FAQs which address a wide spectrum of legal issues, and will probably take you several hours to read. So curl up with a hot tea, coffee or glass of wine, and learn how the law affects you and how to protect yourself. And bookmark it as well; the EFF plans to keep it updated as court cases are decided, laws passed, etc.