What’s confidentiality worth
The editor of Time magazine says the information that almost sent reporter Matthew Cooper to jail wasn’t worth a vow of confidentiality. I think much of what gets it isn’t. More »
Archive for August, 2005
Professor Stone on free speech in NYT
This column in the New York Times today gives some good historical background for the Abrams and Schenck cases of 1919 and ties them in with calls to expel radicals from England. More »
Britain seeks to limit violent porn
This attempt by Britain to regulate violent porn would have a tougher time in the United States under the Miller formulation. It would be hard to ban it in the same way as child porn as the Brits are seeking. More »
Man wins $270 grand after radio outing
San Franciscan Roberto Hernandez won $270,000 after being exposed as a homosexual by a Houston radio station. It’s unclear from this story whether his cause of action was public disclosure of private fact or just emotional distress. Emotional distress is often a secondary claim to other torts that just increases the damages based on the shocking nature of the action. More »
Da Vinci Code’s in IP clear
The Da Vinci Code wasn’t my favorite book, but it didn’t repulse me like some people (except for the thankfully short romance scene). But there were parts that made it obvious that it wasn’t a rip-off of some great work.