New York Times Company v. Tasini

533 U.S. 483 (2001)
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The New York Times headquarters.

This case pitted the National Writers Union against the New York Times Company, Newsday, Time, Lexis/Nexis and University Microfilms (now called ProQuest). The NWU's statement about its involvement in the case is here and a post-ruling statement from the Times is available here. A good read is the amicus brief filed by The American Library Association in support of the NWU.

While the NWU hailed the ruling, there is some dispute as to whether anyone actually benefited from the outcome of this case. In particular, there is considerable controversy over the massive deletions of articles in electronic databases as publishers try and comply with the ruling. However, the American Society of Journalists and Authors has characterized the alarm as unwarranted.