News & Media
How does Hulu work, then?
By J. DeVoy New records indicate that Google offered Viacom $592 million to license its shows and movies to YouTube shortly after acquiring the video website. This revelation stems from
Joe Francis Cease and Desist Fail
by Christopher Harbin Joe Francis, of Girls Gone Wild fame, is a fine, upstanding gentleman with an impeccable record of conduct. Too bad his lawyers can’t seem to get
Coalition Requests Inquiry into Hate Speech
by Charles Platt The National Hispanic Media Coalition, which contains groups with harmless or even benign-sounding names such as Free Press, the Media Access Project, Common Cause, and the Prometheus
More and More Lawsuits Over Rants on the Web That Blast Businesses
Addresses the nature of lawsuits filed by businesses to silence critics, focusing on the T&J Towing case where the company sued the creator of a critical Facebook group for defamation.
Elitism is good for the Supreme Court
By J. DeVoy While the initial furor over Elena Kagan’s nomination for John Paul Stevens’s seat on the Supreme Court has died down, lingering questions remain about the desirability of
Venting Online, Consumers Can Find Themselves in Court
Analyzing the changing nature of business defamation, as the electronic age has ushered in a new era where constitutionally protected speech critical of a business can be heard and read
Dear Leader Randazza Quoted in NYT Article on SLAPP Suits
by Christopher Harbin Marc was recently quoted in the paper of record regarding Slapp suits. One tidbit of the article stood out as odd to me: “The group Medical Justice, which
Video Game Playthrough Footage Should Be Fair Use
by Christopher Harbin It’s pretty easy to get duped into buying a crappy video game. A lot of video game marketing is pretty shady. Submitted for your consideration: the Madden “bullshot.”
NJ Governor Chris Christie is awesome
By J. DeVoy [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw0aBkt8CPA&hl=en_US&fs=1&] Governor Christie tells a public school teacher seeking around $83,000 in compensation, exclusive of benefits, that she doesn’t have to work if she doesn’t like her
California Bar President pwns law schools in lengthy screed
By J. DeVoy Howard B. Miller, President of the State Bar of California, had harsh words for California’s law schools in May 2010’s California Bar Journal. Acknowledging the bleak outcomes
Weighty civil rights issues in Michigan
By J. DeVoy A Michigan woman is suing Hooters for allegedly putting her on a 30-day “weight probation” period, leading to her constructive discharge. Accordingly, the first cause of action in
Cool video / Our predictions come to pass
By J. DeVoy In March, I speculated that a third Creative Commons-licensed album was forthcoming from recording business pioneers Nine Inch Nails. This recently came to pass… kind of. First,
Court Allows Copyright Infringement Free For All On File Hosting Sites
by Christopher Harbin Right now, it appears that courts are willing to let file-hosting sites like Rapidshare, Hotfile, and Megaupload live in the void in the law between Grokster, Limewire,
Ninth Circuit Holds Academic Liberty Pwns Workplace Harassment
by Christopher Harbin My man crush on Judge Kozinksi got kicked up a notch after reading his slammin’ opinion in Rodriguez v. Maricopa County Community College Dist. Here, Kozinksi, joined
Draw Mohammed Day
by Charles Platt aka Ahmed Mom I do hope the free speech advocates who frequent this forum will be observing Draw Mohammed Day, scheduled to begin tomorrow. Here’s the inevitable
Attention Trademark Professors: I Found Next Year's Trademark Exam Question
You’re welcome in advance.
New dads also suffer post-partum depression
By J. DeVoy A new study, involving statistical review of 43 prior studies on post-partum depression that included 28,000 adult males and females, has shed new light on this form
Indefinite detention OK for sex offenders
by Charles Platt “The Supreme Court ruled Monday that federal officials can indefinitely hold inmates considered ‘sexually dangerous’ after their prison terms are complete.” (Washington Post) Since it is her
Don't lie down drunk near your car
by Charles Platt In West Virginia, you can lose your license for a year even if there’s no proof that you were driving, or there’s a possibility that you might
