Supreme Court to review FCC decency case

Image via WikipediaThe Supreme Court has agreed to take up a case that involves the Federal Communications Commission's decency rules for prime-time television. The justices will be reviewing an appeals court ruling that rejected the FCC's standards forbidding the isolated use of expletives and, specifically, nudity on a 2003 episode of ABC's "NYPD Blue." NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton said, "NAB supports a constitutional review of the FCC's enforcement of program content rules." TVNewsCheck (free registration) (6/27), Broadcasting & Cable(6/27)

BROWN v. ENTERTAINMENT MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION

California Video-game law struck down

Link BROWN, GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA, ET AL. v.  ENTERTAINMENT MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION

Free Speech Issue

Should retailers be able to sell violent video-games, or messages with violent material, to minors?  

Legal Question

Can states use obscenity laws designed to protect minors from sexual material to include violent video games as well?

Is this billboard a case of invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional harm or neither?

ASSOCIATED PRESS
WIRE REPORT
Friday, June 24, 2011

ALAMOGORDO, N.M. — A state judge yesterday ordered an Alamogordo man to immediately take down a billboard that implies his ex-girlfriend had an abortion.  The billboard shows Fultz holding the outline of an infant. The text reads, “This Would Have Been A Picture Of My 2-Month Old Baby If The Mother Had Decided To Not KILL Our Child!”

Supreme Court Strikes Down Prescription Privacy Law in Favor of Big Drug Companies

Privacy Issue: Should the free speech rights of corporations take precedence over the privacy rights of doctors and private citizens wishes to keep prescription data information private?

Today the court released their decision in the matter of Sorrell v. IMS Health Companies. This was a case pitting  the privacy interests of doctors, and information related to their patients use of prescription drugs, against the wishes of pharmacy companies to use obtain and this information in their marketing efforts.

Information Wants to Be Free

Free Speech Issue:  Should people be able to use  materials they have purchased in ways that convenience and benefit them--or be required to pay additional costs to do so?

Introduction
 More than 30 years ago Steward Brand coined the truism, "Information wants to be free." This means that despite rules and regulations to the contrary, information has a way of flowing from one place to the next with little regard for formalities.  For instance, one who owns multiple computers might purchase a video DVD, and store this information on their computer, IPhone, data stick or even a networked hard drive. The information provided on the DVD is readily available and the technology allows for the use of information in ways that benefit consumers more than providers--negatively impacting their bottom line.   Information corporations have a long history of  criminalizing the creation of multiple copies--even when its for their own personal use and not shared beyond that.

American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia v. Zell Miller

Free Speech Issue: Should it be illegal for people to send anonymous messages or hide behind a false identity?

Background
In 1996, the state of Georgia passed a law which made it a crime for users of computer networks to send messages that falsly identify the person.  The state argued that this was needed for the prevention of fraud.

Text of United States Copyright Law

Here are helpful links from the United States Copyright Office that will provide you with the complete version of the U.S. Copyright Law.