The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, in Cincinnati, Ohio [URL=http://www.authorlink.com/news/item/2379/Federal-Ruling-in-Ohio-Termed-Free-Speech-Victory]has ruled[/URL] that [URL=http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2907.31]a state statute[/URL], which imposes penalties for disseminating sexually-explicitly material to minors, cannot be applied to open communications, such as websites, public chatrooms or email-based listservs and mailing lists.

In American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) v. Strickland, the Court ruled ([URL=http://www.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/10a0106p-06.pdf]PDF[/URL]) that the law should apply only to “personal directed” communication—such as person-to-person email or a private chatroom—“between an adult and a person that the adult knows or should know is a minor.”

The San Francisco Examiner [URL=http://www.sfexaminer.com/economy/82794322.html]previously noted[/URL] the importance of the case to a variety of online sellers, including videogame retailers:

[URL=http://www.gamepolitics.com/2010/04/22/another-first-amendment-win-ohio]read more[/URL]

[url=http://www.gamepolitics.com/2010/04/22/another-first-amendment-win-ohio]More...[/url]