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The annoy.com lawsuit |
Case Type: |
Actual.
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Exigence: |
Annoy.com maintains a website with the announced intent "to annoy, to disturb or bother in a way that displeases, troubles or irritates." The Communications Decency Act ("CDA") prohibits transmitting online "any comment, request, suggestion, proposal, image, or other communication which is obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, or indecent, with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass another person." Annoy.com files suit in federal court to have this provision declared unconstitutional.
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Audience: |
You, the general public; you, the trial court judge.
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Possible |
The plaintiff has put online a variety of materials related to the case, with (of course) some annoying asides. Other annoying sites: The BARJ-IN ("Brotherhood of Active Rogue Journalists, International) homepage collects links to other sites which express strong and negative opinions of corporations, politicians etc. For example, you'll find links to the K-Mart Sucks page, The Worst of Boston, and the Angry Organization. Another place to look for negative expressions is Skeleton Closet, which claims to provide "all the dirt on all the candidates." |
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Decision: |
I believe the district court held the law unconstitutional--not a big surprise after the main CDA case, ACLU v. Reno. |
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Related |
Offense Internet |
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Notes: |
An interesting example of lawsuit as ad campaign.
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For help
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Copyright © 1998 Jean Goodwin. All rights reserved. jeangoodwin@nwu.edu Last updated The Free Speech website, http://faculty-web.at.nwu.edu/commstud/freespeech/ |
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