Digital Media Law

In the aftermath of the global shift to digital media, legal issues struggle to keep pace—in spite of frequent and ever–increasing updates. Reflecting the latest changes in this rapidly evolving field, the 2nd Edition of Digital Media Law provides an essential guide to the critical issues surrounding contemporary media law. Updates for the new edition include new rulings relating to corporate political speech, student speech, indecency and Net neutrality, restrictions on libel tourism, cases filed against U.S. information providers, WikiLeaks and shield laws, file sharing, privacy issues, sexting, cyber–stalking, and many others. Numerous traditional communication law concepts are explained and illustrated using familiar examples drawn from contemporary digital media. Salient issues covered include freedom of expression, telecommunications and Internet law, jurisdiction and choice of law, intellectual property law, libel, privacy considerations, commercial speech, and information access. A wealth of additional resources are provided on an accompanying website which is continually updated with new case studies and court decisions. Digital Media Law is an invaluable resource for the latest legal considerations affecting media in today’s increasingly globalized world.

Detailed Contents vi List of Sidebars ix Preface x Acknowledgments xii 1. Introduction to the Legal System 1 2. Freedom of Expression 21 3. Telecommunications Regulation 47 4. Internet Regulation 75 5. Confl ict of Laws 103 6. Information Gathering 127 7. Intellectual Property: Copyright 161 8. Intellectual Property: Patents, Trademarks, and Trade Secrets 199 9. Defamation 227 10. Invasion of Privacy 257 11. Sex and Violence 303 12. Commercial Speech and Antitrust Law 333 Appendix: How to Find the Law 367 Glossary 371 Table of Cases 378 Index 387

Ashley Packard is Professor of Communication and Digital Media Studies at the University of Houston, Clear Lake. She is the author of The Borders of Free Expression (2009) and is a peer reviewer for Communication Law and Policy .