Explains how the new federal copyright law seriously jeopardizes the important author/creator rights embodied in the doctrine of moral rights, shortens the duration of protection for unpublished works, and poses the threat of greatly expanding "legal infringement" under the fair use rule. (GW)

Courts recognize the moral rights of authors and creators as a triable cause, but only infrequently do they decide cases on this basis. (KS)

Discusses the responsibilities of publishers and freelance writers concerning the liability involved in defamatory statements. Reviews several court cases pertaining to publisher liability and claims that, if a writer is not under the immediate control or supervision of the publisher, the publisher may avoid liability. (MM)

Reports that daily newspaper editors feel that they are no less aggressive but may be more careful as a result of recent decisions by the United States Supreme Court. (FL)

Surveys court rulings on "piracy," or misappropriation, of advertising; concludes that the courts have refused to give advertising the same protection from piracy that they have afforded news material. (GT)

Concludes that most newspapers will reject letters to the editor that they consider to be libelous, but that many make efforts to rehabilitate those letters. (FL)

Discusses negligence in defamation cases before the United States Supreme Court's decision in "Gertz v Robert Welch, Inc."; shows that courts have varied in what actions by reporters and editors they have considered negligent. (GT)

Examines the development of retraction laws, which require publishers to correct allegedly false stories, and looks at their constitutional implications. (GT)

Concludes that the juvenile justice system is becoming more open but that most states still limit both press and public access. (FL)

Describes the antitrust suit between two Buffalo, New York newspapers and considers the effectiveness of antitrust legislation in promoting newspaper diversity. (FL)

Concludes that while mechanisms exist to enable news media defendants to file countersuits in nuisance and trivial suits, recent cases in the medical field indicate that the likelihood of success is slight. (FL)

Concludes from a review of court cases that recovery of damages from a mass medium for an alleged incitement of antisocial behavior is unlikely under traditional negligence rules, even without a consideration of constitutional questions. Notes that the expense of litigation may cause the media to avoid potentially provocative communication. (GT)

Reports that the Newspaper Preservation Act played a positive role in the St. Louis "Globe Democrat" experience of 1983, and that the outcome of that experience suggests that the antitrust laws operate when a joint operating agreement ends. (FL)

Discusses issues involved in the 1977 United States Court of Appeals decision in "Edwards vs National Audubon Society," which provided a First Amendment shield for the news report of one public figure's attack on the character or performance of another. (GT)

A review of recent state court decisions in libel cases suggests that the law of defamation is in as much disarray as it was when the Supreme Court recognized the problem and tried to remedy it with its 1974 decision in "Gertz v. Robert Welch Inc." (GT)