Opinion ID: 780232
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Background Principles of New York Law

Text: 45 Under New York law, slander and disparagement of goods constitute distinct causes of action. To recover for disparagement of goods, the plaintiff must show that the defendant published an oral, defamatory statement directed at the quality of a business's goods and must prove that the statements caused special damages. See Ruder & Finn Inc. v. Seaboard Sur. Co., 52 N.Y.2d 663, 670-71, 439 N.Y.S.2d 858, 422 N.E.2d 518 (1981); Hogan v. Herald Co., 84 A.D.2d 470, 446 N.Y.S.2d 836, 843 (N.Y.App.Div.1982); see also El Meson Español v. NYM Corp., 521 F.2d 737, 740 (2d Cir.1975) (interpreting New York law). Where loss of customers constitutes the alleged special damages, the individuals who ceased to be customers, or who refused to purchase, must be named and the exact damages itemized. Drug Research Corp. v. Curtis Publ'g Co., 7 N.Y.2d 435, 441-42, 199 N.Y.S.2d 33, 166 N.E.2d 319 (1960). 46 In contrast to disparagement of goods, slander claims do not require specific itemization of damages. Where the statement constitutes slander per se, general damages to the reputation of the business are presumed. See Liberman v. Gelstein, 80 N.Y.2d 429, 435, 590 N.Y.S.2d 857, 605 N.E.2d 344 (1992). Actual damages, however, must be proven. See Orlowski v. Koroleski, 234 A.D.2d 436, 651 N.Y.S.2d 137 (N.Y.App.Div.1996) (limiting damages for slander per se to nominal amount because actual damages were not proven). The amount of general damages must be supported by competent evidence concerning the injury, although there need be no evidence which assigns an actual dollar value to the injury. Wolf Street Supermkts. v. McPartland, 108 A.D.2d 25, 487 N.Y.S.2d 442, 448 (N.Y.App.Div.1985) (quotations and citations omitted). Under New York law, false statements attacking the integrity or credit of a business constitute slander per se. See Ruder & Finn, 52 N.Y.2d at 670, 439 N.Y.S.2d 858, 422 N.E.2d 518. 47 Finally, a plaintiff may not recover damages from the original author for either product disparagement or slander arising from the republication of defamatory statements by a third party absent a showing that the original author was responsible for or ratified the republication. See Macy v. New York World-Telegram Corp., 2 N.Y.2d 416, 422-23, 161 N.Y.S.2d 55, 141 N.E.2d 566 (1957). Evidence of such republication is not admissible at trial, even to prove widespread dissemination of the defamatory statements. See id. at 422, 161 N.Y.S.2d 55, 141 N.E.2d 566.