With the 2024 election fast approaching, and political news exploding, manufacturers are asking an important question: What is the role of political bobbleheads, pins, stickers, and discussions in the workplace?...more
The US Supreme Court this month declined to rule on whether Florida and Texas laws limiting social media platforms’ content moderation violates the First Amendment, sending the issue back to the lower courts. But in doing so,...more
“My freedom of speech stimulates your freedom to tell me I’m wrong.” – P.J. O’Rourke - In what is certainly the most important First Amendment decision of the term, if not recent memory, the US Supreme Court this summer will...more
Strike One… In 2021 Florida passed a unique law known as the Individual Freedom Act (IFA), or “Stop-WOKE” law (the state’s acronym for “Stop Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees”). The IFA contains two parts, one directed to...more
Public debate about the Israel-Hamas war demonstrates that Americans have strong, and often divergent, views on important social and political issues. Believing that their right to express those views is firmly grounded in...more
In a decision highlighting the ostensible reticence of the Court at present to exercise judicial supervision in the political arena, the Court refused Tortoise Media permission to apply for judicial review in relation to the...more
As we approach election season, conversations about politics are quickly picking up across the country and in the workplace. Employers may be wondering how they can manage communications in the workplace....more
On August 24, 2023, over a year after Florida’s Individual Freedom Act (IFA) (commonly referred to as the “Stop-W.O.K.E.” law) went into effect, and about one year after a Florida federal court partially enjoined the new law,...more
Imagination is a powerful tool that fuels creativity and innovation, as well as personal and professional growth. It allows you to envision possibilities beyond what currently exists and break free from the constraints of...more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a decision in Slattery v. Hochul, reversing the dismissal of a First Amendment challenge to New York Labor Law §203-e (also referred to as the “Boss Bill”). The Boss...more
On March 11, 2023, the West Virginia State Legislature enacted the Student Journalist Press Freedom Protection Act (the “Act”), Senate Bill 121. The Act requires “public high schools, colleges, and universities [to] allow for...more
On April 7, 2023, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its decision in Porter v. Martinez, which addresses California’s law that prohibits honking a car horn except to warn of a safety hazard. Here, Susan Porter drove...more
The Canadian Institute’s 14th Annual Law of Policing Conference, Eastern Edition, returns with curated programming that delves into the most critical challenges and controversial issues facing police services, police...more
On Wednesday, March 22, the Supreme Court heard a case for the dogs — and trademark law. Whiskey maker Jack Daniel’s Properties, Inc., sued dog toy parody company VIP Products LLC for trademark infringement and dilution over...more
Florida’s most recent anti-“WOKE” legislation places diversity-related work and diversity-focused positions on state campuses under threat. House Bill 999 (Postsecondary Educational Institutions), which was approved in a...more
Among the many fundamental rights protected by the European Convention on Human Rights – the European analog to the United States’ Bill of Rights – lies the freedom of speech. Article 10 of the European Convention states that...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On February 27th, 2023, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals (Second Circuit) issued its decision in Slattery v. Hochul, holding that Evergreen Association, Inc., a non-profit organization can challenge New...more
The Ninth Circuit recently affirmed the denial of the United States’ second motion for preliminary order of forfeiture of the Mongol Nation’s trademarks. The Ninth Circuit held that the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt...more
A nine-person jury in the Southern District of New York has found that "MetaBirkin" NFTs violate Hermès International SA's rights in its "Birkin" trademarks. This is the first trial to consider the intersection of NFTs and...more
Addressing the balance between trademark rights under the Lanham Act and the First Amendment right to protected expression, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court judgment finding that the...more
The zeitgeist of pandemic-era American politics has been ugly. Really ugly. In an environment where civil disobedience skews uncivil, how do we balance the quintessentially American freedom of speech with the public...more
The Digital Services Act (“DSA”) was published in the Official Journal Thursday. It becomes effective on November 16, 2022 and will start being enforced on February 17, 2024....more
Florida has made national news in the employment law sphere over the past six months with the passage, implementation, and temporary enjoinment of HB7, also called the Individual Freedom Act or “Stop WOKE Act.” The Act, which...more
Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the Online Safety Bill (OSB), one of the most debated legislative proposals in the UK in recent years, is its impact on freedom of expression....more