DMLP Staff's blog

OMLN Partners With Online News Association to Provide Legal Assistance to Independent Journalists

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The Citizen Media Law Project is pleased to announce that its Online Media Legal Network (OMLN) is partnering with the Online News Association (ONA) in a joint effort to help innovative online journalism ventures meet their legal needs.

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CMLP Publishes New Guide to FTC Disclosure Requirements for Product Endorsements

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As part of our legal guide series on Risks Associated with Publication, today CMLP published a guide to Publishing Product or Service Endorsements. 

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Holiday Week Hiatus

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Due to the Thanksgiving holiday (and some much needed down time after the big OMLN launch), it is likely that we won't be putting up any blog posts this week. We also will not be sending out our weekly newsletter, the Citizen Media Law Brief.  Things should be back to normal next week.

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Citizen Media Law Project Launches Legal Assistance Network for Online Journalists

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We are delighted to announce the public launch of the Berkman Center's Online Media Legal Network (OMLN), a new pro bono (i.e., free!) initiative that connects lawyers and law school clinics from across the country with online journalists and digital media creat

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Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Hears Oral Argument in Anti-SLAPP Case

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On Monday, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) heard oral argument in Fustolo v.Hollander, No.

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CMLP and Cyberlaw Clinic Endorse Anti-SLAPP Protection for Staff of Media and Advocacy Organizations

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On Thursday, the Citizen Media Law Project (CMLP) joined the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts (ACLUM) and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law of the Boston Bar Association in submitting an amicus curiae brief urging the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court to reverse a lower court’s decision in

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Will Glenn Beck Sue a Defamatory Website in 2009?

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Even though Glenn Beck has a prime spot on cable television to offer up his beliefs, it's sometimes quite hard to understand what his beliefs actually are.  For example, as Jon Stewart has pointed out, he believes we have the best healthcare in the world, except when he says it's a nightmare.  Or as Politico underscored, he believes that

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CMLP Launches New Page Devoted to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act

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The Citizen Media Law Project today launched a cool new page that aggregates everything on our site relating to section 230 of the Communications Decency Act ("Section 230"), the important federal statute that protects operators of websites and other interactive computer services from liability for publishing the statements of third-parties.  

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What We Often Take For Granted: Robust Protections for Speech

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Over the past few weeks everyone at the CMLP and Harvard's Cyberlaw Clinic (with whom we share an office) has been focused on the question of what legal protections courts should apply to anonymous speech (see this post about our amicus participation in the Maxon v. Ottawa Publishing case).  When you are immersed in an issue like this, it is easy to forget how lucky we are to live in a country that has robust protections for speech.

In a post earlier this week, University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist reminds us that our neighbor to the north is grappling with this same issue, but has come up with a very different answer.  In his post, Geist reports that an Ontario court has ordered the operators of the right-wing Canadian forum site, FreeDominion.ca, to turn over personally identifying information for eight anonymous posters to the site.

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Citizen Media Law Project is Hiring a Staff Attorney

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Are you a lawyer interested in dealing with emerging legal issues relating to the intersection of law, journalism, and new media on the Internet?  Would you like to help online journalism and new media ventures meet their legal needs?  Do you want a stimulating yet laid back work environment?

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CMLP Seeking Law Student Interns

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Are you a law student interested in working on challenging legal issues relating to online speech and non-traditional journalism?  Are you looking for media and cyberlaw experience? Do you want to get involved with the Berkman Center community?  

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One Yelp Review Case Settles as a Second Gets Underway in California

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We may be seeing the start of a trend in California, as one lawsuit regarding a review posted on the website Yelp.com settled last week just as a second case got underway.

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Subscribe to the Citizen Media Law Brief

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Looking to catch up on the latest legal happenings in the world of online and citizen media?   Or perhaps you just need something to fill your dreary Friday afternoons?  Now is the time to subscribe to the Citizen Media Law Project's weekly newsletter, the Citizen Media Law Brief. 

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Web Security Standard Compromised by Security Researchers Using Sony PlayStations

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The following post was submitted by one our loyal readers, Theo Karantsalis.

MIAMI -- The familiar closed padlock icon that indicates a Web site is secure has been picked.

A Web security standard compromised by security researchers exposed a weak link in the system that could give hackers access to PCs.

At risk: all E-commerce and online banking transactions.

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Preliminary Thoughts on GateHouse Media v. New York Times Company

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Like a storm coming over the horizon, the recent lawsuit filed by GateHouse Media against the New York Times Company, which operates Boston.com, has thrown the CMLP into disarray just as we were preparing to depart to warmer climes for the holidays.

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Two New Ripoff Report Cases Filed

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Eric Goldman reminds us (here, here) that angry companies and individuals are still suing Xcentric Ventures, LLC and Ed Magedson left and right over reports submitted to Ripoff Report.  Ripoff Report is a website that allows users to post reports about individuals and companies that they believe have "ripped them off" or treated them unfair

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Documenting Your Vote: Massachusetts Election Laws

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Massachusetts has no statutory provision that specifically prohibits the use of photographic or video equipment inside a polling place while you are voting.  There is, however, a Massachusetts statute that makes it a crime to "hinder[], delay[] or interfere[] with . . .

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CMLP Joins Amicus Brief in Support of BlockShopper.com

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Last Friday, the Citizen Media Law Project joined Public Citizen, EFF, and Public Knowledge in filing an amici curiae brief in support of BlockShopper.com's

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CMLP Teams Up With NewsU to Launch Online Media Law Course

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We're pleased to announce that News University launched its Online Media Law course today.  The course is specifically designed for individuals and journalists engaged in online publishing, and it covers three important areas of media law -- defamation, privacy, and copyright. The course is free.

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