Frank v. National Broadcasting Co.
Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
1Opinion of the Court
OPINION OF THE COURT
Kooper, J.
We have occasion today to address the issue of when humor or jest at the expense of an identifiable private person becomes defamation. It is an issue that since the turn of the century has arisen but rarely in New York’s appellate courts,1 and never at all with respect to the medium of television. The principal question in this case is whether the plaintiff’s amended complaint against the producers and broadcaster of the late night comedy program "Saturday Night Live” states a cause of action in defamation.
The facts, which are not disputed, are fairly simple. The…
2Cases cited23 opinions
- New York Times Co. v. SullivanSupreme Court of the United States · 1964
- Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc.Supreme Court of the United States · 1974
- Greenbelt Cooperative Publishing Assn., Inc. v. BreslerSupreme Court of the United States · 1970
- Rinaldi v. Holt, Rinehart & Winston, Inc.New York Court of Appeals · 1977
- James v. Gannett Co.New York Court of Appeals · 1976
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3Cited by20 opinions
- Netzer v. Continuity Graphic Associates, Inc.District Court, S.D. New York · 1997
- Hamilton v. PrewettIndiana Court of Appeals · 2007
- Burck v. Mars, Inc.District Court, S.D. New York · 2008
- Ford v. RowlandDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida · 1990
- Dworkin v. Hustler Magazine, Inc.District Court, C.D. California · 1987
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