Search

Categories

Total Results

No Record Found

View All Results
DONATE

defamation

Glen Beck’s suit claiming unfair use of a trademarked name garners stiff response

donal brown October 1, 2009

Conservative commentator Glen Beck ferreted out the identity of an anonymous person behind a site that satirized Beck’s rhetorical style for the purpose of filing a suit against the man. The man, Isaac Eiland-Hall, claims that site poses no real threat to Beck’s livelihood but that Beck is filing the suit to shut down protected expression that accurately satirizes Beck’s rhetorical style. In an e-mail to FAC Director Peter Scheer posted at the end of this

Read More »

University of Colorado denies football press passes to websites that post anonymous comments

donal brown September 29, 2009

INDenver Times no longer runs comments on football stories in their online edition in response to University of Colorado’s policy to refuse press passes to websites who allow pseudonymous posts or anonymous comments. The university is concerned about defamatory and irresponsible comments about players and coaches. -DB Denver Westword Denver New Blog September 25, 2009 By Michael Roberts A sharp-eyed reader noticed an odd editor’s note at the bottom of an INDenver Times account about the CU

Read More »

California case: Middle way may create burdens for those trying to unmask anonymous commenters

donal brown September 17, 2009

The Assistant Director of the Citizen Media Law Project writes that it’s difficult to decide whether a judge’s creative solution in a case involving anonymous commenters is praiseworthy and likens the ruling to Solomon’s “splitting the baby.” -DB Citizen Media Law Project Analysis September 16, 2009 By Sam Bayard It’s amazing how many times you can hear a phrase without really understanding it. Take “splitting the baby” for instance. Excuse my ignorance, but I’d always

Read More »

UC Davis case: Judge suggests avenue to determine identity of anonymous bloggers

donal brown September 15, 2009

Although a Sacramento judge ruled substantially in favor of a blog operator who was trying to keep secret the identities of his bloggers, she also said the plaintiff in the case could hire someone to conduct a search for the identities. -DB The Sacramento Bee September 14, 2009 By Hudson Sangree Those anonymous comments you’ve been posting online might not be as anonymous as you think. Last week, a Sacramento judge opened a small window

Read More »

Don’t ban anonymity urges one legal expert

donal brown August 28, 2009

While siding with Google against the blogger who defamed the model by calling her a “skank”, a First Amendment advocate argues that it is important to protect anonymity of some contemptible speakers to safeguard the freedom of others such as whistleblowers and dissenters in totalitarian regimes to remain anonymous. -DB Citizen Media Law Project Commentary August 26, 2009 By Dan Gillmor Here we go again—a new attack on anonymous speech, misusing the facts ripped from the

Read More »