Wal-Mart as bad as al-Qaida?
March 21st, 2008, 12:24 pm · Post a Comment · posted by Ed Taylor
A federal judge has upheld a Georgia man’s First Amendment right to criticize Wal-Mart’s business practices by comparing their destructive effects on communities to the Holocaust and al-Qaida terrorists, according to Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization.
The U.S. District Court in Atlanta found that Charles Smith’s parody Web sites, www.walocaust.com and www.walqaeda.com were protected speech, and a reasonable person would not confuse their use with Wal-Mart’s legitimate trademarks.
“This is a resounding victory for First Amendment rights and sends a clear message to big corporations that would try to use their deep pockets to intimidate and silence their critics,” declared Paul Alan Levy, Public Citizen attorney, who defended Smith.
