[OT] Where can I read about US.Gov law?

[Psionicist]

Can someone point me to a direction where I can read every single detail about the first amendment of the free speech law in US?

Thanks!

Edit: Are there any special laws and rules for the Internet, if the server in question are located in United States?

 

[Dieter]

Anything you could ever possibly want to know about US Law.

http://thomas.loc.gov

For 1st Amendment stuff:

http://thomas.loc.gov/home/histdoxmainpg.html

 

[Psionicist]

Thanks!

I and two friends (both are studing to become lawyers) are investigating if you actually can censor things on american servers (like this one, or pretty much 90% of all message boards on the whole internet), LEGALLY or not.

I will proudly present our result when we're finished.

 

[Henry]

http://www.freedomforum.org/

Very good site that deals with stories in the news dealing with the US Constitution first amendment.

The whole site is a good read, but In particular, you may find this page interesting:

http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=15327

 

[Psionicist]

http://www.freedomforum.org/

Very good site that deals with stories in the news dealing with the US Constitution first amendment.

The whole site is a good read, but In particular, you may find this page interesting:

http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=15327

Wow, that's great info Henry! Thanks!

 

[Lizard]

Thanks!

I and two friends (both are studing to become lawyers) are investigating if you actually can censor things on american servers (like this one, or pretty much 90% of all message boards on the whole internet), LEGALLY or not.

I will proudly present our result when we're finished.

Can the government force you to censor something? No, not unless it's obscenity (which is a term with very specific legal meaning, and which must be proven in a court of law), copyright violation, libel, or slander. (All of which, again, must be proven in a court of law.)

Can the OWNER of the board exercise whatever policies he/she wishes? Damn straight! The first amendment applies ONLY to GOVERNMENT action -- it has no effect on private individuals. A web board controlled by a private individual or organization may limit, edit, or delete postings at will.

This is *good*. Freedom of speech may not come on someone else's nickel. Anyone who disagrees with the editorial policies of a specific board is free to start their own.

 

[CRGreathouse]

Can someone point me to a direction where I can read every single detail about the first amendment of the free speech law in US?

You must be kidding or exaggerating. (If not, you're much more naïve than I believed you were.)

The US First Amendment has spawned volumes of explanation and interpretation. There are people who dedicate their whole professional lives to the study of the First Amendment.

Good luck with your research, but don't expect to master "every single detail".

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Yeah, you may be in for a lifetime of study. While the Bill of Rights and the rest of the Amendments are not very long, the interpretations and legal precedents are nearly limitless. Knowing the text of the First Amendment is one thing; knowing how it's interpreted is entirely another. And when it comes to how it's applied to the Internet...oh brother...

 

[Psionicist]

Re: Re: [OT] Where can I read about US.Gov law?

...If not, you're much more naïve than I believed you were...

Hmm?

 

[Psionicist]

Can the government force you to censor something? No, not unless it's obscenity (which is a term with very specific legal meaning, and which must be proven in a court of law), copyright violation, libel, or slander. (All of which, again, must be proven in a court of law.)

Can the OWNER of the board exercise whatever policies he/she wishes? Damn straight! The first amendment applies ONLY to GOVERNMENT action -- it has no effect on private individuals. A web board controlled by a private individual or organization may limit, edit, or delete postings at will.

This is *good*. Freedom of speech may not come on someone else's nickel. Anyone who disagrees with the editorial policies of a specific board is free to start their own.

I am not talking about 'private' servers here. I did however mention servers "like this one", where I ment that this was a server. It accidently got there when I rephrased another piece of text.