First Amendment News

Commentary: First Amendment challenge in distasteful online comments

Just when ordinary citizens can publish comments that go global in an instant, many are squandering the opportunity by publishing vile, profane and cruel comments that add little to responsible public discourse and are prompting some sites to shut down comment sections. -DB First Amendment Center Commentary January 10, 2010 By Gene Policinski When and where do we draw the line on free speech? That’s “we” as in you and I, and our fellow citizens

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Federal judge rules transit authority must accept ads for violent video games

A U.S. District Court judge found that the Chicago Transit Authority was operating under an overbroad ordinance in rejecting ads for violent video games. -DB Chicago Sun-Times January 9, 2010 By Mitch Dudek Video game companies can advertise mature- and adult-rated video games on CTA buses and trains — at least for now. U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer issued a preliminary injunction Thursday stating that the CTA, which had banned the advertising of

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Watchdogs needed to ensure federal openness initiatives don’t stagnate

The Obama administration has made significant progress in improving transparency, but a lot more work is needed to achieve full openness and accountability. DB Bangor Daily News Editorial January 11, 2010 President Barack Obama took office with a promise of transparency. He has made strides, but he still has a way to go. In his first 100 days, the traditional period for a new administration to set its tone, he hit the ground running. In

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Public has right of access to publicly-funded research

It seems obvious that the public should have free access to studies funded with their tax dollars. EFF senior staff attorney Corynne McSherry says the public needs to express its support for a new initiative from the Obama administration to allow taxpayers access to research supported by a wide range of government agencies. -DB Electronic Frontier Foundation Opinion January 9, 2010 By Corynne McSherry Sometimes an idea is so blindingly, obviously good that you have to

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Diet doctor sues Kim Kardashian over alleged libelous twitters

Observers think that Dr. Sanford Siegal has a weak case in his libel suit against celebrity Kim Kardashian. Siegal created the “Cookie Diet” and subsequently posted that Kim Kardashian had lost weight using the cookie diet. Siegel sued over Kardashian’s tweets that stated it was false that she was on the cookie diet and that if Siegal was lying about this, there may be other lies afoot. -DB Citizen Media Law Project January 7, 2010

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