Röll 'Em

Martin Röll, on where blogging is heading, in an interview with Eamonn Fitzgerald: "In three years, Six Apart will buy Google and go public. ;-)"

Nike Gets No Break On Commercial Free Speech Grounds

Per the U.S. Supreme Court's per curiam dismissal today, the California Supreme Court's Kasky v. Nike, Inc. opinion will stand. A link to the opinion and some other thoughts are in my April 30 post, and discussions of the U.S. Supreme Court's (non)action are available from John Maltbie, Howard Bashman and the SCOTUSBlog.

Let The Mongering Begin

John Maltbie has a good summary of Batzel v. Smith (PDF), a new 9th Circuit decision limiting the libel liability and protecting the online speech rights of Web site managers. I'm still writing a brief and haven't had the chance to do more than skim the opinion, but Judge Gould's dissenting fears that the ruling "licenses professional rumor-mongers and gossip-hounds to spread false and hurtful information with impunity" are being widely reported. (Shouldn't that be "mongerers," by the way?)

I definitely will want to consider how this decision might bear on some of our panel's responses to Phil Wolff's questions, still in process. For now, more from:

• Reuters: "Court Limits Defamation Scope in Internet Case"


• Out-Law.com: "Defamation victory for web site and listserver operators"


• Ars Tecnica: "Starting vicious rumors over listservs ruled OK"


• c | net News.com (Declan McCullagh): "Libel ruling favors site operators"


• MSNBC: "Court limits scope on Net defamation"

IB

Mindsay, from Adam Ostrow and Brian Klug, lets you blog through AIM or Yahoo Messenger.

What Does A Quarter Million Get You These Days?

Enough to raise a child from birth to age 17 is one possible answer. A filter-free library is another. In the wake of yesterday's CIPA decision (PDF), Susan Hildreth (photo), city librarian for the city and county of San Francisco, has a quarter million fewer ways to take care of business: "San Francisco is ready to lose $250,000 to retain unfettered access." (The Sacramento Bee, "Libraries learn: No filters, no funds")

Ms. Hildreth also has been vocal about the Freedom to Read as threatened by the USA PATRIOT Act—the same that recently prompted Geoffrey Nunberg to remind us that "no one is more adept at [the acronym] game than legislators." ("Letter Perfect")