Freedom to Read Advocates Celebrate a Major Legal Victory in Arkansas

After issuing a preliminary injunction in July 2023, a federal judge in Arkansas has now permanently struck down two key provisions of Arkansas’s controversial “harmful to minors” law, known as Act 372, finding the law to be unconstitutional. If the law's aim was to protect minors from inappropriate content it “will only achieve that end at the expense of everyone else’s First Amendment rights,” judge Timothy Brooks concluded in his December 23 summary judgment ruling. Continue reading at 'Publishers Weekly'

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-12-23 05:00:00 UTC ]

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Federal Judge Strikes Down Parts of Arkansas’s Library Laws in Win for First Amendment

A key victory in the ongoing battle over First Amendment rights in public libraries and access to books from Arkansas this week. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-12-24 14:00:00 UTC ]
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Freedom to Read Advocates Celebrate a Major Legal Victory in Arkansas

After issuing a preliminary injunction in July 2023, a federal judge in Arkansas has now permanently struck down two key provisions of Arkansas’s controversial “harmful to minors” law, known as Act 372, finding the law to be unconstitutional. If the law's aim was to protect minors from... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-12-23 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Florida Moves to Dismiss Publisher Lawsuit Over Book Bans

Attorneys for the state of Florida have asked a federal judge to toss a closely watched lawsuit filed by six major publishers, the Authors Guild, students and parents, and several bestselling authors over HB 1069, a newly enacted state law that critics say is fueling a surge in unconstitutional... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-11-22 05:00:00 UTC ]
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How Book Bans Have Changed the Lives and Education of Librarians

"Crawford County (AR) libraries have begun to return segregated LGBTQ+ books to their original sections after an order was issued by a federal judge." Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-10-11 11:00:00 UTC ]
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In Arkansas, Book Banners Dealt Another Legal Setback

A federal judge has ordered the Crawford County Public Library in Arkansas to stop segregating books with LGBTQ themes into special “social sections,” finding that the policy “was motivated in substantial part by a desire to impede users’ access." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-10-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
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ByteDance promised to sue if the U.S. bans TikTok. Legal experts weigh in on what it means for users

In the event of a lawsuit, the U.S. government would likely argue national security issues. Legislation forcing TikTok’s parent company to sell the video-sharing platform or face a ban in the U.S. received President Joe Biden’s official signoff Wednesday. But the newly minted law could be in... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2024-04-25 14:12:32 UTC ]
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Court Orders Amazon E-book Monopoly Lawsuit to Proceed

A federal judge has held that “monopolization” claims against Amazon can move forward, finding that lawyers for a potential consumer class have plausibly alleged that Amazon’s conduct in the e-book market has led to “reduced competition” and “higher e-book prices." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-04 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Court Trims Authors’ Copyright Lawsuit Against Open AI

A federal judge in California has dismissed a host of claims made by several groups of authors in a now consolidated lawsuit and gave the authors until March 13 to file an amended complaint. The suit’s core claim of direct infringement—which Open AI did not seek to dismiss—remains active. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-14 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Judge Blocks Key Provisions of Iowa Book Banning Law

A federal judge has blocked two key portions of an Iowa law that sought to ban books with sexual content from Iowa schools and to bar classroom discussion of gender identity and sexuality for students below the seventh grade. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-12-29 05:00:00 UTC ]
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After Hearing, Court Set to Decide Fate of Iowa LGBTQ Book Banning Law

A federal judge is set to rule before the end of the year on two lawsuits seeking to block a controversial new Iowa law, SF 496, that would ban books with sexual content from Iowa classrooms and school libraries. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-12-22 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Judge Will Toss Part of Authors’ AI Copyright Lawsuit

A federal judge said he will dismiss part of a lawsuit filed by a group of authors including comedian Sarah Silverman that claims Meta’s Llama AI application infringes their copyrights. However, a core claim of the suit—that Meta’s use of unauthorized copies to train its AI model is... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-13 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Schedule Set, but Order Blocking Texas Book Rating Law Still in Limbo

In an October 2 filing, the plaintiffs argued that staying a federal judge's decision to enjoin HB 900 would "radically upend the status quo” and leave booksellers in a precarious position. But that is exactly where things stand, as an administrative stay issued by the Fifth Circuit effectively... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Appeals Court Temporarily Stays Injunction Blocking Texas Book Rating Law

The temporary hold, which is not based on the merits of the case, puts Judge Alan D. Albright's preliminary injunction on ice while the Fifth Circuit considers the state's bid to stay the injunction. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Judge Blocks Texas Book Ban Law

Judge Alan D. Albright said that he will grant a motion for a preliminary injunction to block Texas's controversial book ban law, which was due to take effect on September 1. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stakes Are High as Judge Hears Motion to Block Texas Book Rating Law

A federal judge in Texas is hearing oral arguments on a high stakes motion filed by a coalition of booksellers and book industry advocates to block the state’s controversial new book rating law from taking effect on September 1. Attorneys for the state of Texas are asking the court to dismiss... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Judge Punts 'Trump Tapes' Case to New York, Slams Trump for Forum Shopping

In an August 4 ruling, federal judge M. Casey Rodgers transferred Trump's $50 million copyright suit against Bob Woodward and publisher Simon & Schuster to the Southern District of New York, where Trump was hit with sanctions for filing a frivolous lawsuit earlier this year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster CEO says there's no need to be 'nervous' about new owner KKR

Paramount announced Monday that it's selling the storied publisher for $1.62 billion, months after a sale to Penguin Random House was blocked by a federal judge. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-08-07 21:27:31 UTC ]
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The Week in Libraries: March 31, 2023

Among the week's headlines: bomb threats over Juno Dawson's 'This Book Is Gay' highlight the increasing threat level librarians and teachers are facing; Missouri lawmakers vote to defund the state's public libraries; and PEN America's Nadine Farid Johnson tells Congress that the country is... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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NCAC Executive Director Christopher Finan to Retire

A longtime defender of the freedom to read, Finan confirmed that he will retire this summer after a celebrated career in the service of free expression and First Amendment rights. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Oral Argument Set in Internet Archive Copyright Case

A federal judge is ready to hear oral arguments for summary judgment in a closely watched copyright case over the scanning and lending of library books, some four months after final briefs were submitted by the parties and more than two years since the case was first filed. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-21 05:00:00 UTC ]
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