SPLC urges the Ohio State Supreme Court to hear an appeal in Gibson Bros. Inc. v. Oberlin College

US Supreme Court building

Read the Amicus Brief The Student Press Law Center joined the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and 16 other media companies and press advocacy groups in filing a brief urging the Ohio State Supreme Court to hear an appeal in Gibson Bros. Inc. v. Oberlin College. In March, an Ohio appellate court held… Continue reading SPLC urges the Ohio State Supreme Court to hear an appeal in Gibson Bros. Inc. v. Oberlin College

Can students take photos of other students in school without their knowledge?

Paper cut outs of question marks strewn around a desk next to a hand holing a pen

Every week, Student Press Law Center attorneys answer a frequently asked question about student media law in “Legal Question of the Week.” Q: So, there's a new Instagram trend of photographing and posting pictures of people without their knowledge (or permission) and a number of such IG accounts have cropped up about our school. The… Continue reading Can students take photos of other students in school without their knowledge?

Can we use a student’s preferred name in the yearbook?

Paper cut outs of question marks strewn around a desk next to a hand holing a pen

Every week, Student Press Law Center attorneys answer a frequently asked question about student media law in “Legal Question of the Week.” Q: I work on our yearbook and historically we have used students' legal names to accompany their yearbook photos. Increasingly, however, students have asked that we use a different “preferred” name, often to reflect… Continue reading Can we use a student’s preferred name in the yearbook?

Copyright Law Presentation

This presentation begins with a brief introduction of the history and goals behind copyright. It then explores some of the basics of copyright, including questions about copyright eligibility, copyright duration, registration, obtaining copyright permissions and its distinction from other intellectual property rights (patent, trademark) and plagiarism. Finally, considerable time is spent discussing copyright law's Fair… Continue reading Copyright Law Presentation

SPLC’s 5 minute guide to B.L. v. Mahanoy

Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L., No 20-255 B.L. v. Mahanoy is a free expression case the Supreme Court decided in June 2021. The case has major implications for public school students across the country. This page is a primer for reporters, students and teachers who want a quick explanation of the case and how… Continue reading SPLC’s 5 minute guide to B.L. v. Mahanoy

What exactly is censorship?

Paper cut outs of question marks strewn around a desk next to a hand holing a pen

Every week, Student Press Law Center attorneys answer a frequently asked question about student media law in “Legal Question of the Week.” Q: What exactly is censorship? A: Anytime someone who works for the school prevents or attempts to prevent you from publishing content in your student publication, you’re dealing with censorship. On the college level,… Continue reading What exactly is censorship?