Assaulting the 1st Amendment

You may have missed this one as it hasn't garnered much attention. Maybe rightly so. But it's an assault on free speech, and it impacts what you write and post on the web.

Apparently, the international law firm of Jones Day doesn't like the fact that a real estate web site mentioned the name of the firm and 2 attorneys that work there. In fact, Jones day was so outraged that it filed a lawsuit regarding the matter. See here: http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2008/09/jones_day_sues_web_site_for_us.html

As you may have heard, in the United States we have the right to free speech. During the last 8 years, this may have not been so obvious, with all the phone tapping, email snooping, and general disregard for this principle perpetrated by the Bush administration, but trust me, it's true. So, for example, if you want to write a blog, or publish an article, or do whatever you do on the web, and mention someone else by name, you generally have the right to do so.

And, you'd think that if you publish information found in public records, like the price paid for real estate, who bought it, and where it's located, well that would be kosher as well.

Not according to Jones Day. I guess this doesn't surprise me. When I was in law school, in Cleveland, the firm was both loved and hated by my fellow law students. Everyone wanted to work there, it was considered top of the heap in the Cleveland-area. But, those that did work there told horror stories of outrageous working conditions including 70+ hour work weeks, bosses who loved to humiliate, and otherwise Darth Vader-like stuff.

So, it doesn't surprise me that Jones Day would file the lawsuit. Gotta protect their own, right? Well, what's more important, the right to free expression or the right to shape one's own image?

You'll notice in the article mentioned above that the web site in question removed all mentions of Jones Day. That's a horrible outcome. People shouldn't be bullied like that by big corporations. Bullying chills otherwise legitimate and important discussions of issues. It chills otherwise free expression. It prevents information from being disseminated.

Protect your blogs people, write what you will, don't let anyone tell you 'no'.