Law Commons^™

Burning Crosses On Campus: University Hate Speech Codes, Alexander Tsesis

Alexander Tsesis

Debates about the value and constitutionality of hate speech regulations on college campuses have deeply divided academics for over a decade. The Supreme Court’s recent decision in Virginia v. Black, recognizing a state’s power to criminalize intentionally intimidating cross burning, at long last provides the key to resolving this heated dispute. The opponents of hate speech codes argue that such regulation guts our concept of free speech. One prominent scholar claims that this censorship would nullify the First Amendment and have “totalitarian implications.” Another constitutional expert, Erwin Chemerinsky, asserts that the “public university simply cannot prohibit the expression of hate, …

Betraying Truth: The Abuse Of Journalistic Ethics In Middle East Reporting, Kenneth Lasson

Kenneth Lasson

In a world at once increasingly chaotic and historically interconnected, the news media have come to play unprecedented roles both in the virtually instantaneous recording of fast-moving events and in influencing the occurrence and evolution of those events themselves. The media, of course, are not beyond reproach. Freedom of the press does not mean immunity from criticism. Reputable journalists abide by standards which, though largely self-imposed, are presumed to be honestly applied. When these principles are abrogated, violators should be taken to task. Nowhere has this responsibility been more tested than in the Middle East, where for over a half-century …

I, Thomas F. Cotter

Thomas F. Cotter

Many states confer upon natural persons a “right of publicity” that renders unlawful the unauthorized use of a person’s name or other indicia of identity for purposes of trade. Efforts to reconcile publicity rights with the First Amendment and with principles of copyright preemption, however, have differed radically from one state or circuit to another, as well as within the scholarly community. In this Article, we present a comprehensive framework for integrating both First Amendment and copyright preemption principles into standard publicity analysis. Our framework eliminates much of the incoherence found in contemporary right of publicity case law by adopting …

Copyright Infringement And Harmless Speech, Christina Bohannan

Christina Bohannan

Copyright law is a glaring and unjustified exception to the rule that the government may not prohibit speech without a showing that it causes harm. While the First Amendment sometimes protects even harmful speech, it virtually never allows the prohibition of harmless speech. Yet, while other speech-burdening laws, such as defamation and right of publicity laws, require demonstrable evidence that the defendant’s speech causes actual harm, copyright law does not make harm a requirement of infringement. Although copyright law considers harm to the market for the copyrighted work as a factor in fair use analysis, harm is not always required …

A "Pay Or Play" Experiment To Improve Children's Educational Television, Lili Levi

Lili Levi

This Article addresses both the constitutionality and the efficacy of the FCC’s current rules that require broadcasters to air children’s educational programming. It argues that, even though the rules would probably pass muster under the First Amendment, they should nevertheless be substantially revised. Empirical studies show mixed results, with substantial amounts of educationally insufficient programming. This is predictable – attributable to broadcaster incentives, limits on the FCC’s enforcement capacities, and audience factors. Instead, the Article advises a turn away from programming mandates. It proposes a “pay or play” approach that allows broadcasters to pay a fee to a fund for …

Cyber Civil Rights (November 2008; Mp3), Danielle Keats Citron

Danielle Keats Citron

Social networking sites and blogs have increasingly become breeding grounds for anonymous online groups that attack women, people of color, and members of other traditionally disadvantaged groups. These destructive groups target individuals with defamation, threats of violence, and technology-based attacks that silence victims and concomitantly destroy their privacy. Victims go offline or assume pseudonyms to prevent future attacks, impoverishing online dialogue and depriving victims of the social and economic opportunities associated with a vibrant online presence. Attackers manipulate search engines to reproduce their lies and threats for employers and clients to see, creating digital "scarlet letters" that ruin reputations. Today's …

Generally Applicable Laws And The First Amendment, David S. Bogen

David S. Bogen

No abstract provided.

Balancing Freedom Of Speech, David S. Bogen

David S. Bogen

No abstract provided.

The Supreme Court's Interpretation Of The Guarantee Of Freedom Of Speech, David S. Bogen

David S. Bogen

No abstract provided.

First Amendment Ancillary Doctrines, David S. Bogen

David S. Bogen

No abstract provided.

The “Spiritual Temperature” Of Contemporary Popular Music: An Alternative To The Legal Regulation Of Death-Metal And Gangsta-Rap Lyrics, Tracy Reilly

Tracy Reilly