Communication Law Cases
Case | Date | Subject | Context |
---|---|---|---|
***New York Times v Sullivan | 1964 | Libel | Sullivan standard / bedrock libel case |
**Brandenburg v Ohio | 1969 | Prior restraint | Imminent action |
**Central Hudson v PSC of New York | 1980 | Advertising | Four-part commercial speech test |
**Moody v Netchoice | 2024 | Social media | FB, X, etc cant be regulated by states |
**Near v Minnesota | 1933 | Prior restraint | State can't ban publications |
**New York Times v US | 1972 | Prior restraint | Pentagon papers Vietnam history |
**Reno v ACLU | 1997 | Obscenity | Strikes down Communications Decency Act |
*A & M Records v Napster | 2001 | Copyright | Music sharing is not fair use |
*Associated Press v US | 1945 | Antitrust | AP must remove barriers to entry |
*Associated Press v Walker | 1967 | Libel | Delimits Sullivan |
*Bollea v Gawker | 2016 | Privacy | Sex tape made public |
*Burstyn v Wilson | 1952 | Prior restraint | Ended film censorship |
*Campbell v Acuff-Rose Music | 1994 | Copyright | Pretty Woman case |
*Chaplinsky v New Hampshire | 1942 | Prior restraint | Fighting words case |
*Cherry v Des Moines Leader | 1901 | Libel | Fair comment |
*Community for Creative Non-Violence v Reid | 1989 | Copyright | Author / artist keeps copyright absent contract |
*Cox v Cohn | 1975 | Privacy | Assault victim named |
*Curtis v Butts | 1967 | Libel | Delimited Sullivan |
*FCC v Pacifica Foundation | 1978 | Obscenity | George Carlin broadcasting case |
*Forty four (44) Liquormart v Rhode Island | 1996 | Advertising | Truthful ads for alcohol prices are OK |
*FTC v Facebook | 2020 | Anti-Trust | FB purchase WhatsApp, Instagram; dismissed 2021 |
*Gertz v Welch | 1974 | Libel | Who is a public person? |
*Hustler Mag & Larry Flynt v Jerry Falwell | 1988 | Libel | Intentional infliction of emotional distress |
*Iancu v Brunetti | 2019 | Trademark | OKs offensive trademark "Fuct" clothing label |
*Miami Herald v Tornillo | 1974 | Advertising | No right to advertise in print media |
*Miller v California | 1973 | Obscenity | Roth + community standards |
*Murthy v Missouri | 2024 | Social media | Gov't advise on public health |
*Office of Comm of United Church of Christ v FCC | 1969 | Broadcasting | WLBT Jackson MS |
*Regina (Queen) v Hicklin | 1868 | Obscenity | Early case punishing obscene publications |
*Rex v Zenger | 1735 | Libel | Truth a defense in libel |
*Roth v US | 1957 | Obscenity | Landmark case striking down Comstockery |
*Schenck v US | 1919 | Prior restraint | Clear and present danger case |
*Texas v Johnson | 1989 | Prior restraint | Flag burning is protected symbolic speech |
*Tinker v Des Moines Schools | 1969 | Prior restraint | Protects student speech in high school |
*Valentine v Christensen | 1942 | Advertising | Ads not protected by 1st Amend |
*West Virginia Brd of Ed v Barnette | 1943 | Free speech | Students not required to recite pledge of allegiance |
*Whitney v California | 1927 | Prior restraint | Notable dissent for free speech, Justice Brandeis |
Barnes v Yahoo | 2006 | Privacy | Right to anonymity |
Bigelow v Virginia | 1976 | Advertising | Abortion services |
Blackhorse v Pro-Football Inc | 2016 | Trademark | Redskins name case |
Branzburg v Hayes | 1972 | Reporter priv | Refused grand jury testimony |
Capitol Records v Thomas-Rasset | 2012 | Copyright | High fines for music downloads |
Cohen v California | 1971 | Prior restraint | Draft resistor case |
Cohen v Cowles Media | 1991 | Reporter priv | Source protection |
Collier v Postum | 1907 | Libel | Ads for Grape Nuts dangerous |
County of Allegheny v. ACLU | 1989 | Prior restraint | Christmas displays |
Cubby v Compuserv | 1991 | Libel | Digital media responsibility |
Edwards v National Audubon Society | 1977 | Libel | Neutral reportage defense |
Eldred v Ashcroft | 2003 | Copyright | Duration of protection |
Elonis v United States | 2015 | Social media | Threats on social media |
Friends of the Earth v FCC | 1971 | Broadcasting | Fairness doctrine in TV advertising |
Gannett v Depasquale | 1979 | Press - trial | Closed courtrooms, reversed by Richmond v Va |
Gonzalez v Google Spain (EU case) | 2014 | Privacy RTBF | EU upheld Google "delisting" of minor private issues |
Hazelwood v Kuhlmeier | 1988 | Prior restraint | Allowed censorship of high school media |
Holder v Humanitarian Law Project | 2010 | Prior restraint | Laws limit speech about terrorist groups |
Howard v Des Moines Register | 1979 | Privacy | Named victim of state sterilization |
Hurley v Irish American LGBT Boston | 1995 | Prior restraint | Right of association case |
Hutchinson v Proxmire | 1979 | Libel | Press release by Senator not privileged |
Lehman v Shaker Heights | 1974 | Advertising | Lehman rule for publicly owned media (bus posters etc) |
Loraine Journal Co v US | 1951 | Antitrust | Refusal to deal case |
Mahanoy Schools v B.L. | 2021 | Prior restraint | High school student profanity off campus, on Snapchat |
Mann v Simberg, Steyn | 2024 | Libel | Climate scientist awarded $1 million |
Matal v Tam | 2017 | Trademark | OKs offensive trademark "Slants" |
MGM Studios Inc v Grokster Ltd | 2005 | Copyright | Circumventing software |
Mutual Film v Industrial Comm of Ohio | 1915 | Prior restraint | Film censorship OK |
NAACP v Alabama (Patterson) | 1958 | Prior restraint | Right of association |
Nebraska Press Assn v Stewart | 1976 | Prior restraint | Courts cant gag media |
Nike v Kasky | 2003 | Advertising | Public relations versus truth in advertising |
Ollman v Evans | 1979 | Libel | Defines fact |
Palin v New York Times | 2022 | Libel | Dismissed 2022 |
Pope v Illinois | 1989 | Obscenity | Modifies Miller standard |
Prager v YouTube (Google) | 2020 | Prior restraint | Prager censorship challenge failed |
RAV v St Paul | 1992 | Hate speech | Extra punishment for hate speech |
Red Lion Media v FCC | 1969 | Broadcasting | Upheld Fairness Doctrine |
Reed v Town of Gilbert | 2015 | Prior restraint | Town rules on sign content unconstitutional |
Richmond Newspapers v Virginia | 1980 | Press - trial | Re-opens courtrooms as per 6th Amendment |
RJ Reynolds v FDA | 2011 | Advertising | Tobacco case |
Roberson v Rochester Folding Box Co. | 1902 | Privacy | misappropriation of likeness case |
Rosenberger v Rectors of the University of Virginia | 1995 | Prior restraint | Student media funding must be objective |
Rubin v Coors | 1995 | Advertising | Can ban truthful info |
Search King v Google | 2003 | Prior restraint | Google has First Amendment rights, not its customers |
Sheppard v Maxwell | 1966 | Press - trial | Set rules for covering courts |
Sherrod v Brietbart | 2011 | Privacy | False light deliberately misleading video edits |
Sipple v Chronicle Publishing | 1984 | Privacy | Privacy case where hero outed as gay |
Smith v Daily Mail | 1979 | Privacy | Juvenile ID laws |
Snyder v Phelps | 2011 | Prior restraint | Westboro church can protest funerals |
Sony v Universal City Studios | 1984 | Copyright | VCR time shifting is OK |
Stratton Oakmont v Prodigy | 1995 | Libel | Digital media responsibility |
Texas Beef Group v Oprah Winfree | 1998 | Libel | Court sides with Oprah in mad cow controversy |
Trinity Methodist Church v FRC | 1933 | Prior restraint | Allowed FCC (then FRC) to rescind license |
US v Alvarez | 2012 | Privacy | Stolen Valor Act overly broad |
US v Bolton | 2020 | Prior restraint | Book by Nat'l Security Advisor John Bolton |
US v NBC | 1943 | Antitrust | Split NBC red & blue networks to create ABC |
US v OBrien | 1968 | Prior restraint | Draft card burning is not protected speech |
US v Paramount Pictures | 1948 | Antitrust | Theaters - studio ties violate anti-trust |
US v Press Publishing Co (NY World) | 1911 | Libel | Libel case brought by Teddy Roosevelt against Pulitzer's World |
US v Stevens | 2010 | Prior restraint | Animal cruelty video ban was overly broad |
VA Brd Pharm v Va Cit. Consumer Council | 1976 | Advertising | Brd cant restrict generic advertising |
Viacom v YouTube (Google) | 2012 | Copyright | DMCA shields Google from infringement |
Virginia v Black | 2003 | Prior restraint | Cross burning for intimidation not protected by First Amendment |
Ward v. Rock Against Racism | 1989 | Prior restraint | Loud music in Central Park OK if technically focused |
White-Smith Music Publishing Co v Apollo | 1908 | Copyright | "Player" piano music rolls not copyrightable |
Wilson v Layne | 1999 | Privacy | Photography during police search not OK |
Zeran v AOL | 1997 | Libel | CDA section 230 found Constitutional |
Zurcher v Stanford Daily | 1976 | Reporter priv | Newsroom search |
*Dominion v Fox News | 2023 | Libel | Fox Network paid over $750 million |
*US v Google | 2024 | Antitrust | Dept Justice wins monopoly case |
Further information:
- List of US Supreme Court cases about First Amendment Issues