Legal News

U.S. District Judge Frederic N. Smalkin recently denied motions to dismiss the lawsuit brought by small-newspaper publishers Berlyn Inc., publisher of the Montgomery and Prince George’s Sentinelss, and Kenneth C. Rossignol, owner of St. Mary’s Today.

The suit alleges antitrust violations by The Post Co. and its subsidiary Gazette Newspapers, Inc., which publishes more than 40 newspapers in the Washington Suburbs. (See March 2001 Press News.)

It contends that The Post Co. and Gazettes are using their combined market power to buy up local rivals and force others out of business, specifically by offering advertising at rates below their cost.

The suit was filed earlier this year following Gazette’s acquisition of Chesapeake Publishing’s Southern Maryland Newspapers. In late February, a federal district judge in Baltimore rejected a request for an emergency petition to block the sale.

NAA Offers Free-lancer Checklist
In light of the New York Times v. Tasini decision, the Newspaper Association of America has had a checklist for newspapers prepared.

The document includes an explanation and checklist to assist newspapers in assessing potential exposure to claims from free-lancers.

The checklist, among other things, discusses the steps publishers should consider to determine whether they are at risk for republishing their newspapers, which contain freelance material, in electronic format. It also discusses possible remedial action for publishers to consider in minimizing exposure.

For more information contact NAA at (703) 902-1600 or www.naa.org.