It's nail-biting time for communications and PR executives. On
Wednesday (April 23) the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral
arguments in Nike Inc. et al. v. Marc Kasky, in a case that could
have dramatic repercussions for the PR industry. In April 2002, the
California Supreme Court rejected claims by Nike lawyers that the
First Amendment immunized Nike from being sued under state consumer
protection laws (for allegedly misrepresenting facts in a PR
campaign). The High Court is expected to make a ruling on the
California case by late June. The Court will not consider the
merits of the original lawsuit, in which Kasky sued Nike for
deceptive sales practices. The PRSA has filed a friend of the court
brief on behalf of Nike.
Nike v Kasky goes before High Court
