A lawsuit originating from a Tweet, or 140 character or less message on the microblogging service Twitter. Typical Tweetsuits involve defamation, product dilution, or a similar claim. It is an uncharted area of the legal realm, with little or no supporting case law. The term was originally coined on July 28, 2009 by ADMAVEN - The Interactive Advertising Blog in an article entitled, "Tweetsuits Multiply, Suing People For Tweets Going Mainstream".
Chicago based Horizon Group Management has filed a $50,000 Tweetsuit against Amanda Bonnen, an individual with a paltry 20 followers, citing defamation.
by adguynick July 28, 2009