(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
On May 29, 2025, the New Jersey Court of Appeals reversed dismissal in Satz v. Starr, No. A-2785-23, 2025 WL 1522032 (N.J. Super. Ct. App. Div. May 29, 2025), holding that the plaintiff’s voluntary dismissal of his claims did...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
Although the threat of COVID-19 (remember that?) seems to have diminished considerably over the past five years, once upon a time in Hollywood many production companies (along with other employers) required employees to be...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
Does the First Amendment right to free speech permit an employer to hire or fire an employee based on race? On its face, the proposition may seem absurd, especially as we approach the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act...more
In the landscape of Oklahoma’s business litigation, the Oklahoma Citizens Participation Act (OCPA) stands as a critical yet often lesser-known tool. Designed to combat frivolous lawsuits that chill First Amendment rights,...more
California's Anti-SLAPP statute is intended to cut short lawsuits "brought primarily to chill the valid exercise of the constitutional rights of freedom of speech and petition . . .". Cal. Code Civ. Proc § 425.16(a) ...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
Nevada, like California, has enacted an anti-SLAPP law that is intended to protect citizens' First Amendment rights to petition the government for redress of grievances and to free speech by limiting the chilling effect of...more
Many states have enacted statutes curtailing Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (known as “anti-SLAPP” statutes) to protect parties from lawsuits designed to chill speech. These statutes vary from state to state,...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
The California Supreme Court has addressed yet another brick in the anti-SLAPP wall protecting the medical peer review process from challenges by disgruntled physicians and delivered a mixed-bag opinion, with one holding...more