Justices Affirm Do-Not-Call Ruling Reuters Monday, October 4, 2004; 10:46 AM
The Supreme Court Monday let stand a lower-court ruling that telemarketers' rights to free speech are not violated by the government's nationwide do-not-call list. Without comment, the justices rejected an appeal by commercial telemarketers against the lower-court ruling, which upheld as constitutional the popular program in which consumers can put their names on a list if they do not want to be called by telemarketers. "We hold that the do-not-call registry is a valid commercial speech regulation because it directly advances the government's important interests in safeguarding personal privacy and reducing the danger of telemarketing abuse without burdening an excessive amount of speech," the appeals court said. The Denver-based appeals court overturned a decision by a federal judge who ruled the list unfairly discriminated against commercial speech. The do-not-call list stemmed from regulations adopted by the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission. The program went into effect a year ago and subjects telemarketers to fines of up to $11,000 for calling a number on the list. < snip > http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A5575-2004Oct4?language=printer -- You are a subscribed member of the infowarrior list. Visit www.infowarrior.org for list information or to unsubscribe. This message may be redistributed freely in its entirety. Any and all copyrights appearing in list messages are maintained by their respective owners.
