Date: Mon, 26 Feb 1996 09:56:36 -0600 From: Deb Liebow To: Multiple recipients of list ALAOIF Subject: ALA FILES LAWSUIT CHALLENGING THE COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT OF 1996 ------------------- TEL.FIL follows -------------------- Today, Monday February 26, 1996, the American Library Association led a broad coalition of 22 organizations in a lawsuit that challenges the Communications Decency Act of 1996, a portion of the recently enacted Telecommunications Act. The lawsuit is being filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The lawsuit alleges that the Act is vague, overbroad, and not the least restrictive means to ensure that children do not have access to obscene or pornographic materials. The lawsuit argues that the result of this legislation will be a chilling of constitutionally protected speech. Other named plaintiffs are: America Online; American Booksellers Association; American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression; American Society of Newspaper Editors; Association of American Publishers; Association of National Advertisers; Association of Publishers, Editors and Writers; Citizens Internet Empowerment Coalition; Commercial Internet Exchange Association; Compuserve; Families Against Internet Censorship; Freedom to Read Foundation; Hotwired Ventures; Interactive Services Association; Microsoft Corporation; Microsoft Network; Netcom; Newspaper Association of America; Prodigy; Society Of Professional Journalists; and Wired Ventures. This case will be consolidated with the lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union earlier month. A hearing on both lawsuits, before a three-judge federal panel, will take place on March 21, 1996. We will keep you posted on what promises to be a fast-track lawsuit which is headed for the United States Supreme Court.