Joe Lieberman and Arlen Specter have introduced legislation in the Senate to protect US-based publishers from (the enforcement of) foreign libel judgments. A direct response to the Rachel Ehrenfeld case, the Free Speech Protection Act of 2008 would be the federal equivalent of New York's "Libel Terrorism Protection Act", which was signed into law May 1 of this year. There is a parallel House Bill, sponsored by Rep. Pete King (R., N.Y.) and co-sponsored by Rep. Anthony Weiner.
These are excellent initiatives; even better would be if the UK courts would stop handing down judgments like the one against Rachel Ehrenfeld. The current Mosley case is very troubling in this sense - not because it is an example of good journalism, but because if the News of the World loses - which it certainly will - the judgment will have ramifications way beyond that particular 'bastion of journalism'.
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