Your startup publishes content every day — blog posts, case studies, ad campaigns, social media, website copy, whitepapers, product comparisons. Every piece of published content carries risk. Media Liability covers claims arising from what you publish: defamation, copyright infringement, invasion of privacy, and product disparagement. If someone sues you over something you wrote, posted, or broadcast, this is the policy that responds.
Last reviewed April 24, 2026 · Reviewed by the Corgi Insurance team
You publish to build your brand. Media Liability protects you when your content becomes someone else's legal claim.
Coverage structure under form CORG-ML-0100. The content-related claims it covers, the publishing activities that trigger it, and the line between editorial mistakes and intentional misconduct. Limits shown are illustrative. Important: The coverage descriptions on this page are general summaries for informational purposes only. They do not constitute a policy, binder, or guarantee of coverage. Coverage is provided only under the terms, conditions, exclusions, and limits of the issued policy. Always refer to your actual policy wording and declarations page for the governing terms and conditions. If there is any conflict between this summary and the policy, the policy controls.
Media Liability
What this policy pays for.
A competitor sues your company after you publish a blog post comparing your product to theirs, claiming your post contains false and disparaging statements about their product's reliability.1
Your policy covers claims alleging that your published content unfairly disparaged another company's products or services. Defense costs and any resulting damages are covered up to your policy limit. Comparative marketing is common in tech — but when a competitor believes you crossed the line from opinion to false statement of fact, this is the coverage that responds.
A photographer discovers that your marketing team used one of her copyrighted images on your website without a license. She sues for copyright infringement and seeks statutory damages.2
Your policy covers claims alleging that your published content infringes a third party's copyright. This includes unauthorized use of photographs, illustrations, text, music, and other copyrighted material in your marketing, website, and published content. Defense costs and damages (including statutory damages if awarded) are covered.
A former employee featured in your company's "team spotlight" blog post sues, alleging the post disclosed private medical information she had shared only with HR — and that it was published without her consent.3
Your policy covers claims alleging that your published content unreasonably disclosed private facts about an identifiable person. When marketing content — blog posts, testimonials, case studies, social media — reveals private information without proper authorization, and the subject sues, your policy covers the defense and resulting damages. Note: claims framed as breach of a confidentiality agreement or NDA may be excluded under the contractual liability exclusion.
Scenario notes
Media Liability is a claims-made policy with defense costs within limits. The claim must be first made during the policy period, and the content at issue must have been published after the retroactive date.
Coverage applies to defamation (libel and slander), invasion of privacy, copyright infringement, trademark infringement, plagiarism, and product disparagement arising from your published content. It does not cover patent infringement or trade secret misappropriation.
The knowing-violation exclusion applies broadly: if the insured knew a published statement was false, or knowingly violated a law in creating or publishing content, coverage is excluded. This covers intentional defamation, deliberate falsehoods, and knowing legal violations — not honest mistakes or negligent errors. Unlike the fraud exclusion on other coverage parts, this exclusion does not require a final adjudication to apply.
Policy notes
Right of publicity claims — unauthorized commercial use of a person's name, image, voice, or likeness — are not expressly listed in the policy's Wrongful Act definition. The policy covers "invasion of privacy" which is a related but legally distinct concept. Do not assume right-of-publicity claims are covered.
False advertising claims under the Lanham Act (the federal trademark and unfair competition statute) are not listed as covered wrongful acts. The policy covers product disparagement (false statements about a competitor's products) and negligent errors in published content, which may overlap with some Lanham Act theories — but statutory false advertising claims and FTC enforcement actions are not covered. Claims framed as breach of a confidentiality agreement or NDA may be excluded under the contractual liability exclusion.
The scenarios above are illustrative examples only and do not guarantee coverage for any specific claim. Actual coverage depends on the facts and circumstances of each claim and the specific terms of your issued policy. Results may differ based on policy endorsements, exclusions, limits, and applicable law.
Media Liability, Tech E&O, CGL (Coverage B) each respond to a different claim trigger and coverage boundary.
What triggers it: A claim arising from your published content — blog posts, ads, case studies, website copy, social media Type of content: All published media — written, visual, audio, digital Common scenario: A photographer sues over an unlicensed image on your website Key difference: Covers publishing risk broadly — defamation, copyright, privacy, disparagement across all your content. If the claim is about something you published, start here.
What triggers it: A claim that your professional technology service or product caused a client financial harm Type of content: Technology services and products Common scenario: Your analytics platform miscalculates and costs a client $500K Key difference: Covers professional technology performance. If the claim is about how your tech worked (or didn't), that's Tech E&O — even if the failure was in content delivery.
What triggers it: A claim that your advertising activities harmed someone — limited to a narrow list of offenses like slander, libel, and use of another's slogan Type of content: Advertising activities only (narrowly defined) Common scenario: A competitor claims you copied their slogan in an ad campaign Key difference: Covers a narrow set of advertising offenses within CGL. If you need broader content protection, Media Liability is the dedicated policy.
Wrongful Act — Product Disparagement responds when a competitor sues your company after you publish a blog post comparing your product to theirs, claiming your post contains false and disparaging statements about their product's reliability.
Media Liability is a claims-made policy with defense costs within limits. The claim must be first made during the policy period, and the content at issue must have been published after the retroactive date. Coverage applies to defamation (libel and slander), invasion of privacy, copyright infringement, trademark infringement, plagiarism, and product disparagement arising from your published content. It does not cover patent infringement or trade secret misappropriation.
Available add-ons include Expanded Definition of Media Content, Pre-Publication Legal Review Cost Reimbursement, Packaged with Tech E&O and Cyber. Endorsements are required where noted and availability may vary by jurisdiction and underwriting.
Broadens the definition of covered content to include user-generated content hosted on your platform, podcast transcripts, or other non-traditional media formats. Important for platforms that host or distribute third-party content. [Endorsement required — availability may vary]
Covers the cost of pre-publication legal review for content flagged as potentially risky — giving your marketing team access to media counsel before publishing, not just after a claim. [Endorsement required — availability may vary]
When Media Liability is purchased alongside Tech E&O and Cyber, it replaces the media and IP exclusions in those policies with Media Liability's purpose-built coverage terms. This means media-related claims are handled under a single, dedicated coverage part rather than falling through gaps between policies.
Media protects what you publish. Layer in CGL, Tech E&O, Cyber, D&O, and more — modular coverage that grows with you.
Protects your business against third-party claims for bodily injury, property damage, and personal or advertising injury arising from your operations.
Protects against losses and claims resulting from data breaches, cyberattacks, and network security failures.
Covers claims alleging your technology products or services failed to perform as intended, causing financial harm to a client.
Covers claims made against company leaders for alleged wrongful acts in managing the business.
Protects against claims alleging wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, or other employment-related issues.
Protects your company and plan fiduciaries against claims alleging mismanagement of employee benefit plans, including retirement and health plans.
Protects against claims arising from your published or distributed content, including allegations of defamation, copyright infringement, or invasion of privacy.
Provides liability coverage when employees use rented or personal vehicles for company business.
Key terms from the policy language and approved coverage summary.
Go deeper on Media Liability and the rest of the startup insurance stack.
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