(Podcast) The Briefing: IP Rights and the “Public Good” Exemption to California’s Anti-SLAPP Law: An Update
The Briefing: IP Rights and the “Public Good” Exemption to California’s Anti-SLAPP Law: An Update
“SLAPP” is an acronym for Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation. The term was coined in the 1980s to describe lawsuits initiated to silence public speech about issues of public importance. Under the original...more
Ever since the landmark case New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964), to succeed on a defamation claim, plaintiffs who are also public figures have a constitutional requirement to show that the defendant acted...more
The 1964 Supreme Court case New York Times v. Sullivan, which requires public officials to prove “actual malice” to succeed on a defamation claim, was a watershed moment in defamation law. Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts was...more
On January 8, 2025, Governor Mike DeWine signed the unanimously passed Senate Bill 237, also known as the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act (UPEPA), into law. UPEPA is designed to protect individuals’ constitutional...more
If you are considering filing a defamation lawsuit or other speech-based claim, you are likely aware that your claim may be challenged based upon free-speech principles or that the defendant may claim that their conduct is...more
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has once again revived Sarah Palin’s longstanding defamation suit against The New York Times. The Second Circuit’s opinion highlights important procedural and substantive issues in...more
Yesterday, July 17, 2024, Pennsylvania joins more than 30 states that have enacted anti-SLAPP laws, providing protection to journalists and media outlets from meritless claims....more
In the case of Martinez v. Zoom Info Technologies, the Ninth Circuit addressed the “Public Interest” exemption to California’s anti-SLAPP law. Scott Hervey and James Kachmar talk about this case on this episode of The...more
On November 30, 2023, the Colorado Court of Appeals in Tender Care v. Barnett tested the limits of Colorado’s anti-SLAPP law in considering whether an individual’s online review of a company could invoke the protections of...more
Last week, the Supreme Court of Texas addressed the quantum of evidence required for a plaintiff to support a prima facie case and survive a motion to dismiss brought under the Texas Citizens Participation Act, Texas’s...more
This week, the Ninth Circuit addresses the First Amendment “limited-purpose public figure” doctrine in the context of a charitable organization’s fundraising activities. The Court holds that charitable organizations...more
In the wake of the recent six-week-long trial and defamation verdict in favor of Johnny Depp in Virginia's Fairfax County Circuit Court, many are asking what led to this outcome. Holland & Knight litigators share three...more
Yesterday's post concerned the California Court of Appeal's holding that statements made in a Form 10-K were "protected activity" under California's Anti-SLAPP statute because they were made "in connection with an issue under...more
Under California's Anti-SLAPP law, a defendant may bring a special motion to strike any cause of action "arising from any act of that person in furtherance of the person's right of petition or free speech under the United...more
Welcome to Three Point Shot, a newsletter brought to you by the Sports Law Group at Proskauer. Three Point Shot brings you the latest in sports law-related news and provides you with links to related materials. We hope you...more
We work hard for our businesses, and those of you who started your own enterprise are even more deeply concerned about it than others. Which is why criticism of your business can be so frustrating....more
In 2019, California’s appellate courts issued 42 published opinions interpreting the state’s anti-SLAPP statute. Cal. Civ. Proc. § 425.16 et. seq. Litigants filed at least 435 anti-SLAPP motions in California’s trial courts...more
Mark Walker, member partner in our El Paso office, authored a white paper on Texas Anti-SLAPP law. The paper serves as a guide through the history of the TCPA, an outline of its provisions and application, and a navigation...more
Can a news organization avoid a discrimination claim by arguing that it was exercising its First Amendment right to choose who writes the news? That’s the question that the California courts have been grappling with in...more
On August 23, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued its long-awaited opinion in Klocke v. Watson, 17-11320, 2019 WL 3977545, at *1 (5th Cir. Aug. 23, 2019), holding that the Texas Citizens...more
On August 23, 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued an opinion resolving “an issue that has brewed for several years in this circuit” regarding the intersection of Texas free speech protections and...more
Following the Lead of Many Other States in the Nation, Colorado Passes Its Own Robust Statute to Curb Retaliatory Litigation for Speaking Out on Public Issues - Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (“SLAPP”)...more
The California Court of Appeal affirmed dismissal of a former freelancer’s defamation and employment-related claims against the Times. Frederick Theodore Rall III, a political cartoonist and blogger for the paper, brought...more