Re: LA Times v. Free Republic?

On 11/10/99, Esther Sinofsky <esinofs[_at_]lausd.k12.ca.us> wrote:
>
> Since no one has mentioned it yet, thought I'd share the fact that
> yesterday's (November 9, 1999) Los Angeles Times business section
> reported on the U.S. District Court's preliminary ruling the L.A.
> Times and Washington Post v. Free Republic case. To quote the
> opening paragraph of the article:
>
> "In a ruling that could shape how copyright laws are applied in
> cyberspace, a federal judge on Monday rejected a conservative Web
> site's position that posting articles copied without permission from
> major newspapers is legally protected."
>
> Free Republic's attorney said the site will continue to contest the
> suit and "that the judge made a misguided decision that could dampen
> the flow of free information that many consider so important to the
> Internet's vitality."
>
> "...Judge Margaret Morrow showed little sympathy for Free Republic's
> position. She not only rejected the site's request to have the case
> dismissed, but wrote in a 28-page opinion that Robinson and his site
> 'are not entitled to assert a fair use defense to the claims of
> copyright infringement alleged in the complaint.'"
>
> The article indicates that "Morrow could still alter her decision
> after arguments from attorneys in the case on Monday, but attorneys
> for both sides said a reversal is unlikely."
>
> Sorry, I don't have a URL for either the L.A. Times articles or the
> preliminary ruling. Like the rest of you, I'd love a URL to the
> ruling.

Following is one URL for Judge Morrow's preliminary ruling:

   http://www.techlawjournal.com/courts/freerep/19991108.htm

Berne S. Broadbent
KIRTON & McCONKIE
Salt Lake City, UT
email: bbroadbent[_at_]kmclaw.com Received on Fri Nov 12 1999 - 18:21:33 GMT