commercial speech

Judge rules for professional football star fighting attempts of company to end contract over controversial tweet

Pittsburg Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall won a round against Hanesbrands for ending his contract to promote their sportswear when the player posted a tweet protesting how people were celebrating the death of Osama bin Laden. A federal judge ruled for Mendenhall, finding that the contract could only be ended if the player did something that brought him into “into public dispute …” and that “mere disagreement with Mr. Mendenhall’s comments would not have triggered

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Federal court: Massachusett town’s ban on billboard cigarette ads unconstitutional

Tobacco interests won a ruling in federal court that they have a constitutional right to run billboard ads advertising cigarettes in Worcester, Massachusetts. The town had passed an ordinance banning the ads. The ruling found that the city ordinance was not content neutral and thereby violated the First Amendment rights of the tobacco industry. -db From the Courthouse News Service, April 13, 201, by Rose Bouboushian. Full story  

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Federal judge rules against Massachusetts town’s ban of tobacco ad signs

Observing a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that truthful advertising of products is protected under the First Amendment, a federal district ruled that Worcester, Massachusetts could not ban outdoor tobacco ads or in-store ads visible from the street. The judge wrote that Worcester “has no legitimate interest in prohibiting non-misleading advertising to adults to prevent them from making decisions of which the City disapproves.” -db From CSP Daily News,  April 3, 2012, by Thomas A. Briant.

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Whistleblower suing Rolls Royce for protests over alleged environmental infraction

Claiming he was fired for protesting environmental violations, a Louisana man is suing Rolls Royce Commercial Marine under the Louisiana Environmental Whistleblower Statute. The employee noticed that a hole in a storage tank was patched in a hasty and substandard way and attempted to bring the issue to his superiors. -db From  the Courthouse News Service, March 8, 2012, by Sabrina Canfield. Full story    

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Obama adminisration appeals adverse ruling on cigarette pack labeling

In response to a federal judge’s ruling that the Food and Drug Administration could not require tobacco companies to put shocking images on cigarette packs reflecting the ill health effects of smoking, the Obama administration is appealing the ruling. The federal judge said the graphic images constituted forced speech in violation of the First Amendment. -db From Reuters, March 5, 2012, by Jeremy Pelofsky. Full story  

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