ABA Journal

Media & Communications Law

1544 ABA Journal Media & Communications Law articles.

‘Seinfeld’ episode inspired new telemarketing law in New Jersey

Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill last week that that requires telemarketers to provide a callback number and to identify themselves and whom they represent within 30 seconds.

SCOTUS sidesteps Section 230 case after absolving Twitter of liability for terror attack

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday declined to address a long-standing provision that protects technology companies from being held liable for third-party content posted on their platforms after ruling in a related case that Twitter had not aided and abetted a terror attack.

Kagan, Sotomayor write dueling opinions in SCOTUS fair-use ruling against Andy Warhol Foundation

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan complained in a dissent Thursday that a majority ruling by liberal colleague Justice Sonia Sotomayor had adopted a “posture of indifference” and left “in shambles” part of a fair-use test used in copyright cases.

Lawyers likely to see large payouts in $787.5M Fox defamation case

At least 31 lawyers from nine different law firms were involved in Dominion Voting Systems’ two-year defamation lawsuit against the Fox Corp., which ended this week with a $787.5 million settlement.

Alan Dershowitz can’t pursue defamation suit against CNN, despite its ‘foolishness’ and ‘apathy,’ judge says

Former Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz can’t pursue his lawsuit contending that CNN defamed him by mischaracterizing his remarks during the first impeachment trial of then-President Donald Trump, a federal judge in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has ruled.

Suit by Fox News producer alleges BigLaw lawyers and others pressured her to give evasive testimony

Updated: A Fox News producer alleges in a lawsuit filed Monday that she worked in a “misogynistic environment” at the network and received worse legal representation than male employees as she prepared for deposition testimony in the defamation case filed by Dominion Voting Systems.

Lawyers kicked off Twitter sue for breach of contract, citing Musk’s amnesty tweet

Husband-and-wife lawyers Jared and Elizabeth Lee Beck have filed a breach of contract suit in a bid for reinstatement to Twitter that is based on an Elon Musk tweet.

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Law prof isn’t sure whether Florida blogger bill applies to him, says second bill would help cop defamation suits

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-dominated state legislature are “willing to take their chances in court” with performative legislation that goes beyond the law as it currently stands, according to a professor at the Florida International University College of Law.

SCOTUS appears reluctant to impose liability for websites’ third-party content

The U.S. Supreme Court appeared reluctant to impose liability on social media websites in oral arguments Tuesday and Wednesday in cases seeking to impose liability for third-party content that aids terrorism.

Weekly Briefs: Judge orders reform of school-funding system; BigLaw malpractice suit settles

School-funding system violates state constitution, judge says

A Pennsylvania judge has ruled that the state’s school-funding system, which is heavily dependent on local property taxes, violates the state constitutional rights…

After seeing attitude shifts about opiate addiction, MDL lawyer targets Facebook

In 2022, a multidistrict litigation lawyer brought a federal action against Meta Platforms Inc. alleging that the algorithms are designed to be addictive.

Most of Twitter’s former legal staff is gone, as is Elon Musk’s personal lawyer Alex Spiro, reports say

Twitter’s legal staff of about 200 people is mostly gone following the social media company’s takeover nearly two months ago by Tesla CEO and Twitter owner Elon Musk. He has also replaced two law firms and reportedly ousted the personal lawyer he installed as the interim legal chief.

Law prof sues over New York law requiring bloggers and websites to address online hate speech

A blogging law professor is a plaintiff in a lawsuit claiming that a New York law pressures bloggers and websites to remove hate speech that is protected by the First Amendment.

More than $2M in sanctions sought against Gibson Dunn and Facebook

Plaintiffs are seeking more than $2 million in sanctions against Facebook and its lawyers at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher after a federal judge said they engaged in “dilatory discovery conduct.”

Would Twitter get Section 230 immunity in lawsuits filed over fake tweets with blue check marks?

Plaintiffs lawyer Jay Edelson told Reuters that he is researching whether Twitter could be sued for giving blue check marks to fake accounts that misled consumers and corporate shareholders.

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