PharmaGossip Supports Federal Anti-SLAPP Law to Protect First Amendment Rights

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact: Samantha Brown
Legislative Director, Federal Anti-SLAPP Project
sb@anti-SLAPP.org
www.anti-slapp.org
(650) 646-8569


“Coalition Seeks to Protect the First Amendment”

March 7th, 2009 (UK) – PharmaGossip has joined with the Federal Anti-SLAPP Project (FASP) and other organizations, which are working to secure federal protections for the First Amendment rights of petition and free speech.

SLAPPs – also known as “Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation” – are not filed to legitimately vindicate rights of the plaintiff, but instead to threaten, intimidate and silence public scrutiny and free speech. Details about the Federal Anti-SLAPP and the California Anti-SLAPP projects can be found at www.anti-slapp.org and www.casp.net The Society of Professional Journalists also has extensive background information about SLAPP suits posted on their Web site at www.spj.org/antislapp.asp .

“Although federal rules and doctrine provide some limited protection for public participation, we need comprehensive and uniform federal legislation,” explained FASP Legislative Director Samantha Brown. “Many states do have anti-SLAPP protections, but there is no uniform protection in place. This means that free speech, as well as the right to petiton our government with grievances, depend on where a person exercises his or her First Amendment rights. Also, even in states that do have anti-SLAPP laws, federal and state claims in federal court may not be covered.”

Factory workers, citizens who post online reviews, even candidates for the United States Senate and Oprah all have something in common. Their willingness to speak out on issues of public interest resulted in lawsuits against them.

Brown said, “It has been proven time and time again that honesty and accountability are directly tied to free speech, on the part of citizens, the media and elected officials. Lawsuits brought against people who speak pose as much a danger to speech and petition as any law banning such speech could.”

Now is the time for Congress to secure the protections of the kind of citizen participation that creates a well-functioning, open, accountable democracy. PharmaGossip urges Congress to enact the proposed Citizen Participation in Government and Society Act of 2009 to do just that.

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