first amendment Resources on ZDNet

ZDNet Resources

In close first amendment case, Virginia court upholds spammer conviction: In close First Amendment case, Virginia court upholds spammer convictionI'd say hate is a rather strong word.We don't hate spammers. We despise them.As for the constitutionality of anti-spam laws, we'll discuss that *after* the spammer has been executed. I'd suggest slow immersion into boiling oil while dangling suspended from his...; Tags: First Amendment, Jaynes, party invitation, spam; Discussion threads 2008-03-03
In close first amendment case, Virginia court upholds spammer conviction: What do geeks hate more than free speech restrictions? Spammers! Thus, anti-spam laws are an interesting collision. Spamming is clearly speech -- albeit commercial speech. So are antispam laws constitutional? The Virginia Supreme Court took that matter up in the case of Jeremy Jaynes, a particularly obnoxious...; Tags: Speech, Anti-spam, First Amendment, Spamming, Statute, Virginia, Jeremy Jaynes, Spam, Security, Spam And Phishing, Richard Koman; Blog posts 2008-03-03
The first amendment and Wikileaks: The First Amendment and WikileaksNot Prior Restraint? Horse-feathers!It is clear that this is unconstitutional, and only a lawyer would hedge his bets by giving the bank and the court any benefit of doubt. This is the most egregious use of pernicious censorship that I have seen in ages:...; Tags: Wikileaks, First Amendment; Discussion threads 2008-02-21
The first amendment and Wikileaks: To clarify some things I misunderstood about this story this morning. Dynadot is Wikileaks' domain registrar, and it was Dynadots not Wikileaks who stipulated to blocking the domain. Which explains why there was a stipulation at all. And why Wikileaks was so outraged by the court's action. ...; Tags: Restraint, First Amendment, Information, Dynadot, Richard Koman; Blog posts 2008-02-19
Apple, ThinkSecret settlement: Bad precedent: Apple, ThinkSecret settlement: Bad precedentBad Apple?This article should be called "Tales From the Darkside". The irony is the legion of devotees that will help make excuses for the boorish behavior of the anal "control freak" with the fruity name. Not much healthy about THAT fruit!!First amendment is not...; Tags: irony, NDA, First Amendment, Apple Inc., IBM Corp.; Discussion threads 2007-12-20

Court tosses suit against Avvo, concluding algorithmic ratings are protected speech: Lawyer rating start-up and nascent online community Avvo scored a big win yesterday when it convinced a Washington district court to dismiss a putative class action lawsuit filed last June. Avvo aggregates available attorney information, assigns subjective (and undisclosed) value to various factors, and comes up with a 1-10...; Tags: Third Party, First Amendment, Avvo, Denise Howell; Blog posts 2007-12-19
Judge: National security letter provision is unconstitutional: Congress recently revised the USA Patriot Act to allow the FBI to use "national security letters" to compel companies - including Internet service providers and telecom companies - to produce customer records -- and forbid them from telling customers or anyone else about it. The law also severely limited the...; Tags: Security, Law, FBI, Judge, First Amendment, ZDNet Government; Blog posts 2007-09-06
House panel approves legal shield for bloggers: House panel approves legal shield for bloggersA good lawBut it doesn't go far enough. It should have also protected online bloggers who do not make any money off their websites through ads and other things.I was happy to see that they put in the 'reasonable exhaustion of other means' thing...; Tags: Blogging, Vertical industries, government, blogger, illegal act, shield, First Amendment; Discussion threads 2007-08-01
Judge: Child Online Protection Act unconstitutional: Judge: Child Online Protection Act unconstitutionalThis is sick!I am so sick of hearing about some judge who is up on the First Amendment to the point that he is willing to jeapordize the safety of children. What rock did he crawl out from? After being involved with computer security for...; Tags: Regulations, SECURITY, First Amendment, FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS, Child Online Protection Act; Discussion threads 2007-03-27
FCC, meet the first amendment: FCC, meet the First AmendmentContent vs. PresentationI think it is important to distinguish between Content (ideas, thoughts) and Presentation (words, phrasing, imagery).The 1st ammendment should be upheld throughout all methods of communication, including TV and the internet.That ammendment protects our right to communicate our ideas (the Content).However, Presentation (the specific...; Tags: Federal government, FCC, First Amendment; Discussion threads 2006-12-07
FCC, meet the first amendment: Earlier this week, the Federal Communications Commission said that broadcasters have "only limited First Amendment protection," that the V-chip is "ineffective," and that they have every right to mete out punishment for the use of swear words as indecent practice.I dont know about you, but when I hear a...; Tags: First Amendment, FCC, Regulatory, General; Blog posts 2006-12-07
Internet pushes schools to confront first amendment issues: Internet pushes schools to confront First Amendment issuesSo what does the ACLU think we should all learn?If we are trying to teach kids that they shouldn't use "offensive speech — it's crude, it's juvenile, it's profane," then what are we teachers supposed to learn from the issue at hand?And how...; Tags: First Amendment, Internet; Discussion threads 2006-10-30
Internet pushes schools to confront first amendment issues: The rise of Internet usage in schools has raised some new freedom-of-speech issues that school boards across the country are just beginning to address, reports USA Today. As kids spend more of their free time blogging on the Internet, opinions that once might have stayed on the playground,...; Tags: school board, First Amendment; Blog posts 2006-10-27
Why employers are cracking down on e-mail: Why employers are cracking down on e-mailMore rights being violatedI think the author, and the businesses dismissing employees under these pretences are mistaken and in violation of the constitution"Also, some employees cling to the mistaken belief that the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects all forms of their speech,...; Tags: First Amendment, Skull, e-mail; Discussion threads 2006-07-26
Apple abandons effort to unmask leaker: Apple abandons effort to unmask leakerApple dropped the caseGood for apple.They did something bad, and now they chose to stop it. They found out that bad PR doesn't sell computers.And so the dictatorship of Apple continues... with vindictive paranoia. And all you Mac users just love being treated...; Tags: First Amendment, Apple Inc., leaker; Discussion threads 2006-07-12
Student behavior, student responsibility.: I was just reading last week's article Can school punish students for off-campus, online behavior? and my first reaction was:"No, they are not within their rights to suspend students for comments posted on a public site about their fellow students when the students are off-campus." But now I am not...; Tags: First Amendment; Blog posts 2006-05-30
Apple vs. Me: Would you ever want to be on the business end of legal action from a company with US$9 billion in cash? What about being targeted for deletion by one of most powerful multi-national corporations in the world? What if a company with US$14 billion in revenue and 14,000 employees wanted...; Tags: Apple Computer Inc., First Amendment; Blog posts 2006-04-06
FAQ: The new 'annoy' law explained: FAQ: The new 'annoy' law explainedI think its an anti-Goatse lawI think this is another anti-porn law, look at the 'and' at the end of A.i. they struck out. It's no longer necessary to *send* an offensive or annoying communication, or image, it's enough to simply make, create or solicit...; Tags: U.S. Congress, OHIO ELECTIONS COMM'N, Goatse, First Amendment, McIntyre; Discussion threads 2006-01-11
Fuzzy logic behind Bush's cybercrime treaty: Fuzzy logic behind Bush's cybercrime treatyCriminal DualityGood point. I would have to agree that the FBI should be limited to only help in those instances where the "offense" would also be considered criminal in the FBI's jurisdiction."Intellectual Property"It sounds like this is all for the "Intellectual Property" Industry/Lobby. They...; Tags: national security, First Amendment; Discussion threads 2005-11-28
Can technology close journalism's credibility gap?: Can technology close journalism's credibility gap?Campaign Reform? / I Call It Fraud!Section 431(9)(B)(i) makes a distinction where there is no real difference: the media is extremely powerful by any measure, a "special interest" by any definition, and heavily engaged in the "issue advocacy" and "independent expenditure" realms of political persuasion...; Tags: First Amendment, exemption, finance; Discussion threads 2005-01-18