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Civil Litigation

May 28, 2024

Judge: publishers have no duty to investigate accuracy of books

The targeting of publishers would "impose an unprecedented duty to verify the factual accuracy of every book" and would threaten First Amendment principles, Judge Bruce G. Iwasaki wrote in his decision.

A Los Angeles trial court judge granted a book publisher's anti-SLAPP motion and dismissed a lawsuit accusing a prominent property developer of lying in his memoir, writing that publishers are under no duty to investigate a book's accuracy.

"Plaintiff's targeting of publishers would impose an unprecedented duty to verify the factual accuracy of every book. That is not the law. Plaintiff's action threatens First Amendment principles that are the core animating...

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