Supreme Court Won't Rule On Corporation's Right To Lie

The U.S. Supreme Court voted, 6 to 3, to dismiss Nike's appeal of a California Supreme Court decision on commercial speech. The Court said the case raised "novel constitutional questions" but was not ready for the high court's attention. The case, Nike v. Kasky, centered on whether or not Nike violated California's truth-in-advertising laws with its statements about the working conditions in its overseas factories. Nike and its corporate supporters claim the suit was a First Amendment issue and say it may force them to scale back their PR activites. They charge that corporations' abilitites to defend themselves publicly is limited by the California Supreme Court decision. Kasky and public interest activists say the issue is whether corporation have the right to lie. They say the dismissal is a "victory for democracy and the truth. It also marks a notable sidestep after five decades of Court decisions granting more legal power to corporations."