Geoffrey P. Hull is a retired professor emeritus of Middle Tennessee State University. He was the first full-time faculty member in the recording industry management program.
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Associated Press v. Walker (1967)
In Associated Press v. Walker (1967), the Supreme Court ruled that public figures should be treated differently from public officials when they sue for libel.
Copyright
The Supreme Court has acknowledged the compatibility of copyright and First Amendment free expression, but tension does exist as owners often seek to limit dissemination.
Copyright Act of 1976 (1976)
Harmonizing copyright law with First Amendment principles, the Copyright Act of 1976 incorporated the concept of fair use for the first time in such a law.
Eldred v. Ashcroft (2003)
Eldred v. Ashcroft (2003) said that the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998 did not violate the First Amendment. Copyright and the First Amendment were compatible.
Fair Use
Fair use allows copyrighted works to be used in ways that would infringe on the copyright. Fair use is a way of preventing copyright from violating of the First Amendment.
Harper and Row v. Nation Enterprises (1985)
Harper & Row v. Nation Enterprises (1985) ruled that copyright infringement of the unpublished memoir of Gerald Ford was not protected by the First Amendment.
Rubin v. Coors Brewing Co. (1995)
Rubin v. Coors Brewing Co. (1995) said that a law restricting beer labels from displaying alcohol content was an infringement of First Amendment commercial speech rights.
Thompson v. Western States Medical Center (2002)
Thompson v. Western States Medical Center (2002) ruled that a federal statutory prohibition on the advertisement of compounded drugs violated the First Amendment.
Zacchini v. Scripps-Howard Broadcasting Co. (1977)
Zacchini v. Scripps-Howard (1977) said the First Amendment did not shield the press from publicity law after a news station showed the entire Human Cannonball act of Hugo Zacchini.