free speech
Qualified Immunity Once Again Protects Prison Officials
A recent decision from a U.S. Court of Appeals rejected two First Amendment claims by an inmate based on qualified immunity.
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An Anything Goes Approach to Trademarks: The FUCT Clothing Line
Lack of a trademark does not stop clothing manufacturers from using a brand name such as “FUCT,” but does deny certain benefits, such as protection from imitators.
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Supreme Court’s Decision in Vulgar Trademark Case Affirms Core Principles
The court addressed the case of an artist who founded a clothing line named FUCT. The name obviously bears close resemblance to a profanity.
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White House “Chills” on Free Speech
Most government employees have severe restrictions on their First Amendment rights. Some of these restrictions are justified. But there are plenty of examples of this censorship going too far.
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Arresting a Person for Profanity Often Violates the First Amendment
A three-judge panel affirmed in its decision that the key to the case is individuals often have a First Amendment right to utter profanity — even directed at police officers.
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Losing our Core Freedoms by Not Knowing We Have Them
In 2019, widespread ignorance of our core freedoms and how our government functions is just plain dangerous.
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50 Years Ago, the Court Enters the True Threats Thicket in Watts v. United States
The case should be celebrated for emphasizing the importance of politically charged advocacy and ensuring that such advocacies are not misconstrued as true threats.
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Sri Lanka Temporarily Blocks Social Media — Public Safety or Censorship?
Is the government taking a necessary step to ensure the safety of its people? Or is it a misguided act of censorship?
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Free Speech Makes Hypocrites of Us All
While everybody loves the First Amendment in theory, nobody’s all that fond of it in practice.
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Existing Libel Laws Protect the Right to Speak Freely – For All of Us
Make no mistake: The impact of chilling or weakening the Times legal protections will reach into every home, every cellphone and every social media post.
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