First Amendment Commons^™

Opinionated Software, Meiring De Villiers

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Information security is an important and urgent priority in the computer systems of corporations, governments, and private users. Malevolent software, such as computer viruses and worms, constantly threatens the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of digital information. Virus detection software announces the presence of a virus in a program by issuing a virus alert. A virus alert presents two conflicting legal issues. A virus alert, as a statement on an issue of great public concern, merits protection under the First Amendment. The reputational interest of a plaintiff disparaged by a virus alert, on the other hand, merits protection under the law …

On Communication, John Greenman

Michigan Law Review

Everybody knows that communication is important, but nobody knows how to define it. The best scholars refer to it. Free-speech law protects it. But no one-no scholar or judge-has successfully captured it. Few have even tried. This is the first article to define communication under the law. In it, I explain why some activities-music, abstract painting, and parading-are considered communicative under the First Amendment, while others-sex, drugs, and subliminal advertising-are not. I argue that the existing theories of communication, which hold that communicative behaviors are expressive or convey ideas, fail to explain what is going on in free-speech cases. Instead, …

Sold Downstream: Free Speech, Fair Use, And Anti-Circumvention Law, R. Terry Parker

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

[Excerpt] “Here’s a hypo. Living in Asia, I purchased a shameful amount of music and movies, all legit purchases through reputable stores, HMV and Tower Records, but little of which will get reissued. I wanted to preserve my collection but software in the discs prevented me from ripping backup copies to my computer. Lacking the technological savvy to get around this software myself, I purchased and used a product to help me circumvent these controls. Discuss.

Courts agree that copying the music and movies here is infringement but that fair use may provide a defense. However, courts do not agree …

Introducing A Takedown For Trade Secrets On The Internet, Elizabeth A. Rowe

UF Law Faculty Publications

This Article explores, for the first time, an existing void in trade-secret law. When a trade-secret owner discovers that its trade secrets have been posted on the Internet, there is currently no legislative mechanism by which the owner can request that the information be taken down. The only remedy to effectuate removal of the material is to obtain a court order, usually either a temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction. When a trade secret appears on the Internet, the owner often loses the ability to continue to claim it as a trade secret and to prevent others from using …

The Federal Election Commission & Political Blogging: A Perfect Balance Or Just Not Enough?, 24 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 611 (2006), Niki Vlachos

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Protecting Children From The Dark Side Of The Internet, Anne Dupre, John Dayton, Christine Kiracofe

Scholarly Works

This article examines the history of judicial and legislative responses to the issue of consumption of pornography and other harmful materials over the Internet by children. The article begins by giving a brief overview of free speech law in the US. Next, summaries of relevant U.S. legislation and corresponding litigation on Internet free speech are given. Highlighted are: 1) the Communications Decency Act (CDA) and the U.S. Supreme Court’s response in Reno v. ACLU; 2) The Child Pornography Prevention Act (CPPA) and Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition; 3) the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and United States v. American …

First Amendment Implications For E-Mail Threats: Are There Any Free Speech Protections?, 23 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 845 (2005), Joshua Azriel

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

In this article, Azriel explores how the First Amendment protects or does not provide protections to threatening e-mail communications. The article begins by examining seminal U.S. Supreme Court cases that dealt with threatening speech. The factors that provide the First Amendment protections are described, as well as the particular facts of each case and the Court’s findings. Azriel then looks at the Federal Threat Law and the factors that are enunciated in that legislation with regard to the protections afforded threatening communications, in addition to federal court cases that have interpreted the statute. The article then looks at several cases …

Video Games As A Protected Form Of Expression, Paul E. Salamanca

Georgia Law Review

Video games, like motion pictures, failed to qualify for First Amendment protection until well after they emerged as a medium. Today, a number of courts have held that such games constitute a form of expression and do not fall into any recognized category of unprotected speech. Nevertheless, a number of commentators have called for limited constitutional protection for video games, predicating their arguments on a variety of grounds, including the alleged deleterious effects of such games on children. This Article responds to these commentators and defends recent decisions extending protection to video games.

Institutions Of Learning Or Havens For Illegal Activities: How The Supreme Court Views Libraries, 25 N. Ill. U. L. Rev. 1 (2004), Raizel Liebler

UIC Law Open Access Faculty Scholarship

The role of libraries in American society is varied: libraries act as curators and repositories of American culture's recorded knowledge, as places to communicate with others, and as sources where one can gain information from books, magazines and other printed materials, as well as audio-video materials and the Internet. Courts in the United States have called libraries "the quintessential locus of the receipt of information, "'places that are "dedicated to quiet, to knowledge, and to beauty," and "a mighty resource in the free marketplace of ideas." These positive views of libraries are often in sharp contrast with views by some …

Sound And Fury Signifying Nothing?: Jurgen Bϋssow’S Battle Against Hate-Speech On The Internet, Eric T. Eberwine

NYLS Law Review

No abstract provided.

Congress And The Courts Battle Over The First Amendment: Can The Law Really Protect Children From Pornography On The Internet?, 21 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 141 (2003), Mitchell P. Goldstein

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

Litigation and court action have provided little in the way of providing solutions to anyone dealing with inappropriate content on the Internet. In Miller v. California, 413 U.S. 15 (1973). The court refused to establish a national standard and instead relied on community standards. Because the Internet has no geographic limitations, one cannot determine community standards because the Internet is so far reaching. Goldstein discusses in detail these Congressional enactments: Communications Decency Act of 1996, the Child Online Protection Act, and the Child Pornography Prevention Act of 1996, finding that none of them give children protection from pornography. The challenge …

Caging The Bird Does Not Cage The Song: How The International Covenant On Civil And Political Rights Fails To Protect Free Expression Over The Internet, 21 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 371 (2003), Antoine L. Collins

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This comment addresses the right to free speech on the Internet. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, an instrument designed to protect the rights of individuals to free speech and expression, is analyzed for effectiveness. The author argues that the “ICCPR”, the most recent international human rights agreement, does not adequately protect Internet users, particularly from governments that may choose to violate citizens’ rights by interfering with computerized communications. The analysis of the “ICCPR” illustrates the purpose, capabilities and weaknesses of the agreement, and offers proposed changes to the act, to protect the rights of both the individual …

The New Software Jurisprudence And The Faltering First Amendment, Liam S. O'Melinn

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Given that courts reviewing restrictions on the development and distribution of software are increasingly invoking the First Amendment, it should follow that software will receive strong protection. Yet, while there have been judicial decisions which lend credence to the view that the Constitution can be invoked to protect software, subsequent developments in this area, which I term "the new software jurisprudence" cast severe doubt on the ability of the courts to apply the First Amendment so as to shield software effectively. These developments include the faults of previous strains of First Amendment analysis and then add more, with the ironic …

Content-Based Regulation Of Electronic Media: Indecent Speech On The Internet, 21 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 19 (2002), Kelly M. Slavitt, Matthew Knorr

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

Using an airing of the Victoria Secret fashion show as an example, the author explores the definition of "indecency" in media. She first discusses the how FCC treats indecency in traditional media (radio, broadcast TV and cable). Then, she addresses numerous failed attempts of applying indecency on the Internet. Consequently, she compares and contrasts the different media. Lastly, she suggests a solution in this regard that would likely pass constitutional muster. The FCC can impose fines or prison sentences on radio and broadcasting licensees for "uttering any obscene, indecent or profane language by means of radio communications." As for cable …

Free Speech In A Digital Economy: An Analysis Of How Intellectual Property Rights Have Been Elevated At The Expense Of Free Speech, 36 J. Marshall L. Rev. 109 (2002), Bernard E. Nodzon Jr.

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Reflecting On The Virtual Child Porn Decision, 36 J. Marshall L. Rev. 211 (2002), David L. Hudson

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Your Money Or Your Speech: The Children's Internet Protection Act And The Congressional Assault On The First Amendment In Public Libraries, Steven D. Hinckley

Faculty Scholarship

This article examines the inherent conflict between This article examines the inherent conflict between two Congressional approaches to public access to the Internet - the provision of federal funding support to schools and public libraries to ensure broad access to online information regardless of financial means, and federal restrictions on children's use of school and public library computers to access content that the government feels could be harmful to them. It analyzes the efficacy and constitutionality of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), Congress's attempt to use its powers of the purse to control objectionable online content in the very …

Hate In Cyberspace: Regulating Hate Speech On The Internet, Alexander Tsesis

San Diego Law Review

The speed at which information can be spread throughout the United States and other countries has been greatly enhanced by the Internet. This computer-driven, technological medium consists of various modes of transmission, including discussion groups, interactive pages, and mail services. A wide variety of pictorial, auditory, and written information is available on the Internet. Persons with disparate goals can access and affect large audiences through it. Both those seeking social improvement and those promoting racist violence can now increase the magnitude, diversity, and location of their audiences. Persons advancing

democratic ideals and those inclined to exclusionary elitism can use e- …

Yesterday's Love Letters Are Today's Best Sellers: Fair Use & The War Among Authors, 18 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L.141 (1999), Sonali R. Kolhatkar

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This Comment will analyze how courts should interpret the four statutory factors in determining a fair use defense for once private documents, such as love letters, and how the courts need to add First Amendment and public policy concerns in deciding whether to allow the fair use. First, this Comment addresses the current definition of the fair use doctrine and its impact on unpublished works. This Comment will also address the need to create a new fair use defense test to include the First Amendment concerns of secondary authors who cannot create their works without the copyrighted information. Secondly, this …

Cable Tv Users Taxes: A First Amendment Challenge, 8 Computer L.J. 257 (1988), Carlos Victor Yguico

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Free Speech On The Information Superhighway: European Perspectives, 16 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 905 (1998), Caroline Uyttendaele, Joseph Dumortier

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This article focuses on the need for free speech legislation on the information superhighway. Two issues are addressed in this article. First, whether additional measures are needed for protecting free speech on the Internet. Second, whether the existing restrictions on free speech are relevant. The information superhighway in the United States is referred as a growing economic interest in information. In contract, the emphasis in Europe lies more on the "information society." In both instances, the government recognizes that the Internet has become a powerful medium of expression. Additionally, the Internet is a true testing ground for regulating the information …

A Brave New World Of Free Speech: Should Interactive Computer Service Providers Be Held Liable For The Information They Disseminate?, Sarah Becket Boehm

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Millions of people worldwide use online services to communicate via e-mail; to post and read messages on bulletin boards; to receive news, financial information and updated sports scores; and to gather information. Nearly anyone with access to the Internet can post information without having the facts verified or the content edited, so it is extremely likely that if they post defamatory material, it can find its way around the world in a matter of minutes. Due to the anonymous nature of the Internet, the author of the defamatory material may never be discovered. Assuming the author cannot be traced, the …

The Best Of Both Worlds: Financing Software Filters For The Classroom And Avoiding First Amendment Liability, 16 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 659 (1998), Peter G. Drever Iii

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

As the Internet expands, educational institutions have become interested in the medium for the purpose of expanding learning opportunities. Information that may be objectionable to some members of the community, however, would then be available to children in schools with Internet access. Attempts to regulate the content of the Internet have yet to pass a First Amendment challenge. Concern over what children will be exposed to when the Internet is introduced in the classroom is currently being addressed by educators and legislators alike. The Communications Decency Act was the first to attempt to address the issue of Internet access in …

Cryptography And The First Amendment: The Right To Be Unheard, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 325 (1996), Phillip E. Reiman

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

The author proposes that current technology has made cryptography an important element in maintaining a society's right to free speech. Cryptography is the process of using secret codes to protect information. This protection increases society's privacy because cryptographers can limit the amount of information that is seen by others. The world is becoming a place where there is virtually no privacy. Everyone is open to surveillance through the Internet, use of a credit card or being filmed on a security camera. Cryptography is a means in which a person can protect his privacy. Through this protection, the author states that …

Don't Shoot The Messenger: Protecting Speech On Editorially Controlled Bulletin Board Services By Applying Sullivan Malice, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 347 (1996), Iris Ferosie

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

Courts must determine the standard of liability for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that proactively edit their Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs) for defamatory content. ISPs are computer services that provide data processing and communication services to customers - individual computer users who subscribe to the ISP's service. BBSs are computer programs that act like a traditional bulletin board. They are centrally located on the ISP's computers, and people who subscribe to the ISP can access that bulletin board to publish (or "post") messages on the board, and read and respond to other people's messages. Some ISPs allow people to post messages …

The Constitutionality Of Congressional Efforts To Ban Computer-Generated Child Pornography: A First Amendment Assessment Of S. 1237, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 483 (1996), Ronald W. Adelman

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This article addressed the constitutionality of the Child Pornography Prevention Act of 1995 (Hatch Bill) in regard to computer-generated child pornography. The Bill outlaws a visual depiction that is or appears to be of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The author claims the comments of David B. Johnson and John C. Scheller regarding the constitutionality of the Bill are analytically flawed because they focus on dicta from New York v. Ferber and Osborne v. Ohio. The author then engages in his own assessment of the Bill using a First Amendment approach and suggests what findings Congress should make …

Garbage In: Emerging Media And Regulation Of Unsolicited Commercial Solicitiations, Michael W. Carroll

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.

The First Amendment And The National Information Infrastructure, Fred H. Cate

Articles by Maurer Faculty

What the First Amendment status of electronic information should be is a fundamental question which must be addressed in any attempt to arrive at appropriate legal standards to protect the multifarious interests of the users of cyberspace. Yet, despite its importance, the First Amendment has largely been ignored in the debate surrounding what sort of legal framework should control the emerging National Information Infrastructure. Professor Cate surveys the current terrain of First Amendment jurisprudence and describes the different analytical approaches which may be taken. Doctrinal anomalies such as the law of common carriage indicate that at times the courts have …

Virtual Constitutions: The Creation Of Rules For Governing Private Networks, Michael I. Meyerson

All Faculty Scholarship

This article discusses the legal issues involving the owners of private computer networks. These issues include public/private network distinctions, First Amendment free speech issues, liability for computer network owners for improper speech posted on their networks, and anti-trust questions. The article analyzes the complexities that result from different forms of network ownership and the relationship of such networks to governmental entities.

Computer Networks, Libel And The First Amendment, 11 Computer L.J. 555 (1992), Terri A. Cutrera

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.