Constitutional Law

Congress votes to protect U.S. authors from foreign libel judgments

By By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Congress yesterday passed a bill that would protect American authors, journalists and publishers from foreign libel judgments that undermine the U.S. guarantee of free speech.

The House approved the legislation by voice vote and sent it to President Barack Obama.

Under the bill, H.R. 2765, U.S. federal courts would be prevented from recognizing or enforcing a foreign judgment for defamation that is inconsistent with freedom of speech as guaranteed by the First Amendment.

Defendants in foreign cases could obtain a U.S. court order declaring that a foreign judgment would not be enforceable under American law.

The bill?s sponsor, Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., says foreign defamation laws lack the free-speech protections of the U.S. Constitution.

Full post as published by First Amendment Center on July 27, 2010 (boomark / email).