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52 Stan. L. Rev. 1003 (1999-2000)
Privacy, Publication, and the First Amendment: The Dangers of First Amendment Exceptionalism

handle is hein.journals/stflr52 and id is 1023 raw text is: Privacy, Publication, and the First Amendment: The Dangers of First Amendment Exceptionalism Richard A. Epstein* The coordination of common law and constitutional norms are of pressing importance on matters offreedom of speech. In the Supreme Court and else- where, it is possible to discern two sharply inconsistent attitudes toward this question. One view holds that the First Amendment simply prevents any legis- lative backsliding from the common law rules that protect freedom of speech and of the press, much as they protect freedom of contract and freedom of ac- tion generally. On this view, the standard rule governing damages and injunc- tive relief apply to speech much as they do anywhere else. On the alternative view of what is termed First Amendment exceptionalism, the First Amendment protection is read more broadly to afford speech greater protection than the common law rules that insulate the publication of stolen information from judi- cial sanction by either damages or injunction. The article then argues that the common law approach affords a better balance between privacy and disclosure with respect to a wide range of confidential information, including the protec- tion of trade secrets. In so doing, it criticizes the results reached in a number of important recent cases including Desnick v. American Broadcasting Co., Food Lion v. Capital Cities/ABC, and Ford Motor Co. v. Lane. INTRODUCTION: ANYTHING NEW IN CYBERSPACE?............................................ 1004 I. FROM DEFAMATION TO PRIVACY IN ONE LARGE LEAP ............................... 1008 II. REFINING THE BASIC MODEL....................................................................... 1014 A. Privileges for Defamation....................................................................1014 B. Liability for True Statements................................................................1015 III. COMMON LAW JUSTIFICATIONS FOR PUBLISHING WRONGFULLY OBTAINED INFORMATION ............................................................................ 1017 A. Cognizable Harm.................................................................................1018 B. Justification ofPublication Damages .................................................. 1020 C. Remoteness ofDamages....................................................................... 1022 IV. FIRST AMENDMENT EXCEPTIONALISM IN ACTION....................................... 1023 V. INJUNCTIVE RELIEF AND PRIOR RESTRAINT................................................. 1033 VI. TRADE SECRETS...........................................................................................1035 CONCLUSION....................................................................................................... 1047 * James Parker Hall Distinguished Service Professor of Law, The University of Chicago. I should like to thank Martha Apalsch, Class of 2001, and Robert Alt of the Class of 2002 for their diligent research assistance. All Internet citations were current as of May 22, 2000. Copyright © 2000 by Richard A. Epstein and the Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. 1003

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