The problem with a system that uses Courts to resolve issues of what speech is permissible is coming to the forefront again. Reuters London correspondent, Catherine Belton, wrote an unflattering book about Putin called "Putin's People". Now Russian oligarch, Roman Abramovich, is suing Belton and her publisher HarperCollins.
The Courts are tools of the wealthy. The poor do not have access to the Courts and are unequipped to do battle in the Courts. Catherine Belton is dependent on her publisher defending her in this case or she will be impoverished whether she wins or loses. Is publishing books unfriendly to oligarchs a wise profit-loss decision for a publishing company (an industry already dealing with shrinking margins)? Of course it isn't. Books exposing oligarchs will become more rare. An independent journalist attacking the rich, powerful, and unscrupulous? Forget about it.
People applauded the resolution of Trump's Big Lie with lawsuits from Dominion. That was a partial victory (the Big Lie continues apace) that actually loses the war. We can't depend on Courts to resolve free speech. Then only the wealthy will have free speech or have their reputation protected.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chelsea-abramovich-book/russia-tycoon-sues-publisher-and-reuters-reporter-over-putin-book-idUSKBN2BF1XV
The Courts are tools of the wealthy. The poor do not have access to the Courts and are unequipped to do battle in the Courts. Catherine Belton is dependent on her publisher defending her in this case or she will be impoverished whether she wins or loses. Is publishing books unfriendly to oligarchs a wise profit-loss decision for a publishing company (an industry already dealing with shrinking margins)? Of course it isn't. Books exposing oligarchs will become more rare. An independent journalist attacking the rich, powerful, and unscrupulous? Forget about it.
People applauded the resolution of Trump's Big Lie with lawsuits from Dominion. That was a partial victory (the Big Lie continues apace) that actually loses the war. We can't depend on Courts to resolve free speech. Then only the wealthy will have free speech or have their reputation protected.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chelsea-abramovich-book/russia-tycoon-sues-publisher-and-reuters-reporter-over-putin-book-idUSKBN2BF1XV