First Amendment Commons^™

First Amendment Protection For The Publication Of Private Information, Jared Lenow

Vanderbilt Law Review

Over one hundred years ago, Samuel Warren and Louis Brandeis wrote, "Of the desirability-indeed of the necessity-of some protection [of the right of privacy], there can, it is believed, be no doubt. The press is overstepping in every direction the obvious bounds of propriety and decency." This observation rings even more true today than it did when it was made in 1890. In the past hundred years, members of the media have drastically revised the unwritten rules regarding what topics are fair game. While media outlets uniformly declined to publish photographs of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in a wheelchair while he …

A Common Tool For Individual Solutions: Why Countries Should Establish An International Organization To Regulate Internet Content, Paul Przybylski

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

This note advances the case for an international organization to control Internet content. Part I describes the current state of affairs with respect to Internet regulation. First, this part describes briefly how the Internet works, to the extent that such a description is necessary to advance the argument presented in this note. Second, concentrating on Europe, the United States, and China, Part I describes the diverging preferences of countries regarding Internet regulation, the approaches they have taken, and the problems they have encountered due to the international nature of the Internet. Third, this part addresses the major attempt at international …

Truth, Accuracy And Neutral Reportage: Beheading The Media Jabberwock's Attempts To Circumvent New York Times V. Sullivan, David A. Elder

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

In over four decades since the New York Times v. Sullivan decision, the United States Supreme Court has accorded the American media a level of freedom of expression that is unparalleled in the democratic world. Yet, the Supreme Court has also repeatedly affirmed its unwillingness to give the media a constitutional blank check, and has authorized redress where public persons can prove that the defendant published a "calculated falsehood." As any lawyer knows, the calculated falsehood standard is so difficult to satisfy that often none but the impulsive, the intrepid or the naive will contemplate suing for libel. However, Sullivan …

Defining Freedom Of The College Press After "Hosty V. Carter", Jessica B. Lyons

Vanderbilt Law Review

The application of the First Amendment to public universities has long been a source of confusion and frustration for both universities and courts. In particular, application of the First Amendment to student publications such as newspapers, magazines, and yearbooks has led to a great deal of litigation and controversy. The protection afforded by the First Amendment to these publications at the university level is extremely unclear and the circuit courts' inconsistent treatment of the college press has further confused the issue.

How should the First Amendment apply to public universities? An instinctive response is that a college student should enjoy …

Regulation Of Political Signs In Private Homeowner Associations: A New Approach, Brian J. Fleming

Vanderbilt Law Review

The concept of the home as a zone of nearly unfettered individual liberty is one of the bedrock principles of American law and culture. Chief among the liberties safeguarded from governmental interference within this zone is freedom of speech, a liberty protected by the First Amendment. While the First Amendment prevents the government from infringing on an individual's speech in many settings, its protection is especially strong in the home. As Justice Stevens wrote in City of Ladue v. Gilleo, any attempt by the government to prohibit certain forms of speech in the home is so antithetical to our common …

Islamic Arbitration: A New Path For Interpreting Islamic Legal Contracts, Charles P. Trumbull

Vanderbilt Law Review

Muslims living in a secular, liberal democratic state face a fundamental dilemma: reconciling the obligation to live according to Shari'a with their civic duty to follow secular laws. Muslims attempt to resolve this dilemma in a number of ways. Some enter public office and try to influence the generally applicable laws of their country. Others advocate greater legal pluralism, thus allowing Muslims to settle certain disputes under Islamic law. In Canada, for example, the Islamic Institute for Civil Justice ("IICJ") announced plans to create Shari'a tribunals and claimed that it would begin arbitrating family and commercial disputes according to Islamic …

Equal Protection In The World Of Art And Obscenity: The Art Photographer's Latent Struggle With Obscenity Standards In Contemporary America, Elaine Wang

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Part I of this article describes the initial hurdles that all visual art forms, including photography, face with respect to First Amendment protection given the power of visual imagery and the three-pronged test for obscenity set forth in Miller v. California. Of particular relevance is the "serious artistic value" prong of the Miller test and the problems inherent in determining who is to judge as well as how one might judge whether a work, particularly a photograph that may be construed to have a non-artistic function, possesses "serious artistic value."

Part II addresses the overall approach to photography in three …

Bloggers As Reporters: An Effect-Based Approach To First Amendment Protections In A New Age Of Information Dissemination, Stephanie J. Frazee

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Numerous questions and concerns are presented by the Apple case and by the rising prominence of blogging in general. What protections are afforded to bloggers when they are relying on confidential sources to disseminate information? What protections should be afforded? How can a court determine when bloggers are acting as reporters in the first place? And, what protections do traditional reporters get in similar situations? This note will attempt to answer these questions with the purpose of the First Amendment (as well as the practicality and risks of extending its protections) in mind. The next section will follow the development …

Reconceptualizing Due Process In Juvenile Justice: Contributions From Law And Social Science, Christopher Slobogin, Mark R. Fondacaro, Tricia Cross

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

This article challenges the accepted wisdom, at least since the Supreme Court's decision in Gault, that procedures in juvenile delinquency court should mimic the adult criminal process. The legal basis for this challenge is Gault itself, as well as the other Supreme Court cases that triggered the juvenile justice revolution of the past decades, for all of these cases relied on the due process clause, not the provisions of the Constitution that form the foundation for adult criminal procedure. That means that the central goal in juvenile justice is fundamental fairness, which does not have to be congruent with the …

Warring Ideologies For Regulating Military Blogs: A Cyberlaw Approach For Balancing Free Speech And Security In Cyberspace, Julia E. Mitchell

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Part I of this note provides an overview of the use of media during war. It also reviews case law relating to the military's limited right to freedom of speech under the First Amendment. Part II analyzes the problems of regulating milblogs in terms of societal costs and the technological challenges of regulating behavior on the Internet. This note argues that the military's "unexceptionalist" approach toward regulation, wherein it applies the traditional principles embodied in the UCMJ to milblog regulation, undermines its goal of maintaining operational security and impedes the free flow of ideas. Finally, Part II introduces an "exceptionalist" …

Porn In Their Words: Female Leaders In The Adult Entertainment Industry Address Free Speech, Censorship, Feminism, Culture And The Mainstreaming Of Adult Content, Clay Calvert, Robert D. Richards

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Part I provides brief biographical information about each of the five women interviewed for this article. Part II then describes the interview and editing processes used by the authors, including details about when and where the interviews took place and the transcription process of the tapes used to record them. Next, Part III--the heart of the article--sets forth the views, opinions and comments of each of the five women, divided into three theme-based sections: 1) free speech and censorship of sexual content; 2) feminism and victimization; and 3) mainstreaming of adult entertainment and shifts of cultural mores. Finally, Part IV …

"Gouging The Government": Why A Federal Contingency Fee Lobbying Prohibition Is Consistent With First Amendment Freedoms, Meredith A. Capps

Vanderbilt Law Review

Washington Post writer David Segal once observed, "[f]or most Americans the words 'Washington lobbyist' have roughly the same cachet as, say, 'deadbeat dad."" Both lawmakers and the public regard lobbying as an unsavory part of the political process. Much of this perception stems from the vast sums of money spent each year on lobbying activity. For example, in the first half of 2004 alone, mortgage funding companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac reported spending over $11 million on lobbying activities, General Electric spent $8.5 million, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent $20.1 million-and these were only three of the …

Unincorporated, Unprotected: Religion In An Established State, Kathryn E. Komp

Vanderbilt Law Review

In the summer of 2004, the group American Veterans Standing for God and Country ("American Veterans") began a cross-country pilgrimage to carry a 5,200-pound statue of the Ten Commandments to Washington D.C. The infamous statue cost Roy Moore his job as Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court when he refused to remove it from the lobby of the state courthouse in 2002. American Veterans took up Moore's cause, however, and in October they brought the Commandments statue to a Christian rally in Washington, D.C. The group then planned to ask Congress to display the statue permanently in the Capitol …

The Needle And The Damage Done: The Pervasive Presence Of Obsolete Mass Media Audience Models In First Amendment Doctrine, Mehmet Konar-Steenberg

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Do audiences need the government's protection from mass media? Or are they capable of choosing media and protecting themselves? For decades, judicial opinion on this issue developed in the form of judicial notice, speculation, and assumption. Yet during that time, a rich social science discipline was emerging that could have helped to address these issues based on empirical research about mass media effects and audiences. Given the renewed importance of this issue, it is time to bridge the gap between the law of mass media content regulation and the social science research into mass media consumption.

To that end, this …

The "Privilege Of Speech" In A "Pleasantly Authoritarian Country", Hans C. Clausen

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Giving credence to Alexis de Tocqueville's argument that in democratic societies the love of equality is greater than the love of freedom is a recently emerging trend among Western nations to legally proscribe speech critical of homosexuality. Such laws, in various forms, now exist in a large and growing minority of countries in Europe and North America. The goal of these laws is much grander than preventing discrimination against homosexuals; rather, the objective is seemingly to promote the social acceptance of gay and lesbian lifestyles. These laws provide for civil remedies and in some instances even criminal sanctions for speech …

Defamation Law And Free Speech: Reynolds V. Times Newspapers And The English Media, Andrew T. Kenyon, David F. Partlett, Clive P. Walker, Russell L. Weaver

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The common law of defamation cut the balance between speech and reputation decisively in favor of reputation and allowed for the imposition of significant damages against media outlets that defamed. For the last four decades, U.S. media outlets have been insulated against the common law rules by the United States Supreme Court's landmark decision in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. Following Sullivan, Commonwealth countries clung steadfastly to common law rules and are only now beginning to modify the common law rules to provide speech and media protections. Rather than following Sullivan by adopting constitutional protections, however, Commonwealth courts have …

Typosquatters, The Tactical Fight Being Waged By Corporations, And Congress' Attempt To Fight Back In The Criminal Arena, David A. Gusewelle

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Part II of this Note presents an overview of domain names as well as a general overview of cybersquatting and trademarks. Part III analyzes some of the measures Congress has taken against cybersquatting and the case law under those measures. Part IV gives a general overview of typosquatters, who constitute a subgroup of cybersquatters. Part V discusses the TDNA and issues that have been addressed through U.S. v. Zuccarini. Part VI asks whether the TDNA is an unconstitutional restriction on free speech. Part VII questions whether criminal liability is appropriate and argues for a higher culpability standard in § 2252(B)(b) …

Adult Entertainment And The First Amendment: A Dialogue And Analysis With The Industry's Leading Litigator, Clay Calvert, Robert D. Richards

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

This article gives Cambria the legal spotlight, at a time when conservatives control the White House and Congress, to discuss the never-ending tension between the First Amendment freedom of speech, which sometimes, although certainly not always, protects the $10 billion adult entertainment industry in the United States and the voices of censorship who would squelch such content. It is a tension that clearly affects many people, given the sheer popularity of sexually explicit speech and the mainstreaming today of adult content; sales and rentals of adult videos in 2002 totaled more than $4 billion, according to the Adult Video News. …

Public Confidence Laws Gone Awry: A Modern Circuit Split Reveals That Some Federal Courts Manipulate Standing Rules To Promulgate Severe First Amendment Restrictions On The Spouses And Children Of Public Employees, Nicholas R. Farrell

Vanderbilt Law Review

Federal courts in the United States have consistently upheld the constitutional doctrine that "[t]he essential rights of the First Amendment in some instances are subject to the elemental need for order without which the guarantees of civil rights to others would be a mockery." Given the central role of government workers in maintaining that order, the First Amendment rights of public employees have been particularly susceptible to restriction. For example, in 1940, Congress enacted the Hatch Act, which declared unlawful certain political activities of federal employees. Specifically, section nine of the Act prohibited officers and employees in the executive branch …

Justice Isn't Deaf--A Behind The Scenes Look At How Bijoux Records' Executives Discuss The Potential Liability For Violence, Renee M. Moore

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

The music industry is an interesting phenomenon. It is a world that exists on image--and everyone has a say. For that very reason, the music industry is no stranger to critics. At its heart, they are what the industry is all about. Critics are the driving force in the business--their written and verbal exchange of ideas predicts the rise and fall of stars. Critics come in all shapes and sizes--they are the everyday consumer, the media at large, the hopeful artist, the record company executive, the legal scholar, and even our nation's government. This article will take you on a …

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 …

Copyright And The First Amendment: After The Wind Done Gone, Joseph M. Beck

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

On March 16, 2001, plaintiff SunTrust Bank filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia against defendant Houghton Mifflin Company, alleging copyright and trademark infringement based on defendant's yet-to-be published novel The Wind Done Gone. On March 23, plaintiff filed a motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction barring the book's imminent publication. The district court held a hearing on the motion for a temporary restraining order on March 29,2001, and then set down a second hearing for April 18, 2001. On April 20,2001, the district court filed a fifty-one page …

A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing: Wolf Versus Ashcroft And The Constitutionality Of Using The Mpaa Ratings To Censor Films In Prison, Colin Miller

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Part I of this article looks at the history of the federal courts' jurisprudence in deciding prisoner's rights cases, culminating in the current test adopted in on Turner v. Safley. Part II considers the purposes behind the Zimmer Amendment and looks at the district and appellate court rulings in the Pennsylvania prisoners' case, Wolf v. Ashcroft. Part III looks at the history of the MPAA ratings and cases dealing with their legal enforceability. Finally, Part IV applies Turner's test to the Zimmer Amendment and the Pennsylvania policy prohibiting R, X, and NC-17 movies from being shown in prison, ultimately concluding …

"Charitable Choice" And The Accountability Challenge: Reconciling The Need For Regulation With The First Amendment Religion Clauses, Michele E. Gilman

Vanderbilt Law Review

Charitable choice, or the use of federal money to fund social services provided by religious organizations, has engendered controversy and confusion since its inception in the 1996 welfare reform legislation. Under the welfare reform statute, entitled the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act ("PRA"), states may contract out administration of their welfare programs to private entities, including houses of worship. President Bush is promoting the expansion of charitable choice into other federal social service programs as a major policy initiative of his administration. Federal funding of faith-based organizations has supporters and opponents on both the left and the right. …

First Amendment Limits On Copyright, C. Edwin Baker

Vanderbilt Law Review

Although the tension between copyright and the First Amendment has long been noted and increasing numbers of First Amendment challenges to copyright have recently been filed, few scholarly commentaries have gone beyond relatively narrow attempts at doctrinal accommodation. Under the assumption either that existing copyright law fully accommodates First Amendment interests or that some balance is appropriate, commentators have avoided any principled exploration of the full force of First Amendment principles. This Essay aims to fill that gap. Rather than use mechanical doctrine to evaluate existing copyright law, this Essay begins with a theoretical approach to the First Amendment and …

Assessing The Risk Of Executing The Innocent: A Case For Allowing Access To Physical Evidence For Posthumous Dna Testing, Anne-Marie Moyes

Vanderbilt Law Review

On February 5, 1985, Helen Schartner was raped and murdered on her way home from a bar in Virginia Beach. Joseph O'Dell was at the same bar that night, and fellow patrons claim he left the bar shortly after Schartner departed. Several hours later, O'Dell was seen entering a convenience store with blood on his hands, face, and clothes. O'Dell's estranged girlfriend--who had previously falsely accused O'Dell of other murders--read about Schartner's murder and called the police to report that O'Dell had left some bloody clothes in her garage. The police arrested O'Dell and charged him with the rape and …

Commercial Speech And The Unconstitutional Conditions Doctrine: A Second Look At "The Greater Includes The Lesser", Mitchell N. Berman

Vanderbilt Law Review

Over half a century ago, the Puerto Rico legislature legalized casino gambling in an effort to promote tourism to the island.' To help ensure that the local population would not overindulge in this particular vice, however, the legislature at the same time provided that "[n]o gambling room shall be permitted to advertise or other- wise offer their facilities to the public of Puerto Rico."' Thirty years later a casino operator challenged the statutory advertising ban and its implementing regulations as violating the freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment. Although the Superior Court of Puerto Rico agreed with the …

The Government Tunes In To Tune Out The Marketing Of Violent Entertainment To Kids, Shannon Mccoy

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

This Note examines the recent investigation conducted by the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC" or "Commission") and its 2001 Follow-Up to that inquiry. The September 2000 Report ("Report") concluded that the entertainment industry intentionally and aggressively advertises both R and PG-13 movies to children under the age of 18. As a solution, the FTC recommended self-regulation by the entertainment industry. The 2001 Follow-Up to the Report ("Follow-Up") found that although the movie industry has made progress, a greater effort must be exerted to successfully eliminate the marketing of violent entertainment to children.' Both the Report and the Follow-Up demonstrate that self-regulation …

Reacting To Ashcroft V. Free Speech Coalition And The Burial Of The Cppa: An Argument To Regulate Digital Child Pornography Because It Incites Imminent Lawless Action, Justin Leach

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Part I discusses the nature and origin of digital child pornography and how child pornography has traditionally fit into First Amendment analysis. Part II discusses Congress' reaction to digital innovations in child pornography by passing the Child Pornography Prevention Act and, Part II further explains the federal appellate courts' treatment of the CPPA. Part III discusses the history and arguments made for each side in Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition. Part IV discusses the legal and constitutional analysis of the Supreme Court in striking down the regulations that banned digital child pornography. Finally, Part V makes an additional constitutional argument, …

Framing And Blaming In The Culture Wars: Marketing Murder Or Selling Speech?, Clay Calvert

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

This Article uses the Pahler legal battle as a case study to examine the current culture wars that have placed the Hollywood recording and entertainment industries in the legal crosshairs of both legislative and judicial efforts to redefine popular teen culture. The first section demonstrates how the theories at issue in Pahler mirror the tactics used in the recent war against tobacco industry advertising that also allegedly targeted minors. Next, the Article situates Pahler within the context of Congressional hearings in the fall of 2000 that focused attention on the alleged Hollywood marketing of products featuring violent content to minors. …