The Supreme Court heard oral argument today about whether it is a crime to sell or possess any depiction of animal cruelty.  Subsection (a) of the law, U.S.C. Part I, Chapter 3, Section 48, states: “Whoever knowingly creates, sells, or possesses a depiction of animal cruelty with the intention of placing that depiction in interstate or … Continue Reading

Shield Law:
 The Texas Shield Law was signed yesterday by the Governor and became law upon his signature.  As mentioned in several prior posts (available here), the law is the result of a compromise between media interests and law enforcement that includes a narrow definition of journalists entitled to the protection.  Specifically, the law defines journalist as: 
“Journalist” means … Continue Reading

My column began its run in Visibility Magazine, a quarterly internet marketing publication.  The first one addresses trademark law issues related to pay-per-click programs and meta tags.  You can link to the online version of the magazine here.
If you are a Visibility reader and have an issue you would like discussed in a future column, … Continue Reading

Although I got out of the “biz” more than a decade ago to practice law, I can still sympathize with my old classmates who are working at newspapers.  Although all aspects of the economy are suffering, recent hype would lead you to believe the very survival of traditional print newspapers is at stake and could be … Continue Reading

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed a discrimination suit against Craigslist on Friday. The plaintiff, a public interest group, tried to old Craigslist liable for advertisments that may have violated the federal Fair Housting Act of 1968. You can read the decision here.
Essentially, the court found that Craigslist is entitled to the protections of … Continue Reading