Fed Appeals Court Rules: Bloggers Have First Amendment Rights!

[SlickSnake]

Well, it's certainly nice to know I can finally post this and not get sued over it.

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) — A federal appeals court ruled Friday that bloggers and the public have the same First Amendment protections as journalists when sued for defamation: If the issue is of public concern, plaintiffs have to prove negligence to win damages.


The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a new trial in a defamation lawsuit brought by an Oregon bankruptcy trustee against a Montana blogger who wrote online that the court-appointed trustee criminally mishandled a bankruptcy case.


The appeals court ruled that the trustee was not a public figure, which could have invoked an even higher standard of showing the writer acted with malice, but the issue was of public concern, so the negligence standard applied.

Read more HERE:
http://www.salon.com/2014/01/18/court_bloggers_have_first_amendment_protections/

 

[rudeguy]

post in the right forum

I know you know where it is. Or did you get banned from there?

 

[surfsatwerk]

Anything that increase the world's population of bloggers is a bad thing.

 

[destey]

Since rights are not unlimited, and regulation isn't infringement, I think there should be a permit process. 10 Day waiting period, and registration of all bloggers, after proof of needing blogging is demonstrated. Then bloggers should complete a 2 day course where they are qualified thereafter.

And all blog posts should be microstamped and stored in a database should it need to be investigated in regards to a crime.