Jurisprudence and private law

U.S. Judicial Opinion on Civil Liability Resulting from Breaches in Privacy

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mahsa Jamshidi Shahmiri 1
Masoumeh Mazaheri 2

1 Ph.D. Graduate in Jurisprudence and Private Law, Shahid Motahari University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Jurisprudence and Private Law, Shahid Motahari University, Tehran, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22034/jpl.2024.721000
Abstract
Civil liability rights play a significant role in supporting privacy rights of people. Civil liability laws shall guarantee fair indemnification of losses sustained to people and shall prevent emergence of tort in the society. In U.S. law, along with conventional civil liability, modern civil liability has clarified the fundamentals and pillars of various types of civil liability resulting from breaches in privacy. This paper, developed through descriptive-analytical method, reviews fundamentals, pillars and exceptions of various types of civil liability resulting from breaches in privacy in the legal system of the United States. Findings of the paper indicate that in the civil liability resulting from breaches in privacy, the U.S. legal system has duly recognized privacy right as an independent right and has accordingly established an integrated judicial procedure related to civil liability resulting from breaches in privacy. 

Keywords

civil liability
breaches in privacy
judicial opinion
U.S. law
  • Anderson v. Low Rent Housing Comm’n(1981) 304 N.W.2d 239 (Iowa).
  • Atlanta Journal-Constitution v. Jewell, (2001) 555 SE 2d 175, 251 Ga. App. 808.
  • Baggs v. Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc., (1990) 750 F. Supp. 264, 265 (W.D. Mich.)
  • Barber v. Time, Inc., (Mo. 1942) 348 Mo. 1199.
  • Best, Arthur and others, (2007) Basic Tort Law: Cases, Statutes, and Problems, New York: Aspen Publishers.
  • Cabaniss v. Hipsley, (Ga. Ct. App. 1966) 114 Ga. App. 367, 151 S.E.2d 496.
  • Carson v. Here's Johnny Portable Toilets, Inc., (6th Cir. Mich. 1983) 698 F.2d 831, 832.
  • Curtis Pub. Co. v. Butts, (1967) 388 U.S. 130.
  • Daily Times Democrat v. Graham, (Ala. 1964) 276 Ala. 380, 381.
  • Epstein, Richard and others, (2020) Cases and Materials on Torts, New Yokr: Wolters Kluwer.
  • Glynn, Timothy and others, (2019) Employment Law: Private Ordering and Its Limitations, New York: Wolters Kluwer.
  • Goldberg, John and Zipursky, Benjamin, (2020) The Oxford Introduction to U.S. Law: Torts, New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Hirsch v. SC Johnson & Son, Inc., (1979) 280 NW 2d 129.
  • Marvin L. Porten V. University of San Francisco. (1976) 134 Cal. Rptr. 839, 64 Cal. App. 3d 825.
  • Massey, Calvin, and Denning, Brannon, (2019) American Constitutional Law: Powers and Liberties, New York: Wolters Kluwer.
  • Melvin v. Reid, (Cal. 1931) 297 P. 91.
  • Michaels v. Internet Entertainment Group, Inc., (C.D. Cal. 1998) 5 F. Supp. 2d 823.
  • Mills, John, (2008) Privacy: The Lost Right, New York: Oxford University.
  • Moore v. Sun Pub. Corp. (1994) 881 P.2d 735.
  • Morissette, Emily, (2008) Personal Injury and the Law of Torts for Paralegals, New York: Wolters Kluwer.
  • Mulheron, Rachael, (2016) Principles of Tort Law, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
  • New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, (1964) 376 U.S. 254.
  • Raymen v. United Senior Association Inc. (2006) 409 F. Supp. 2d 15.
  • Raynolds, Barney, (1981) “Natural Law versus Positivism: The Fundamental Conflict”, Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, Volume 13.
  • Restatement (2nd) of Tors (1965).
  • Sipple v. Chronicle Publishing Co., (Cal. App. 1st Dist. 1984) 154 Cal. App. 3d 1040, 1043.
  • Smyth v. Pillsbury Co., (E.D. Pa. 1996) 914 F. Supp. 97.
  • Solove, Daniel and Schwartz, Paul, (2017) Information Privacy Law, New York: Wolters Kluwer.
  • Solove, Daniel and Schwartz, Paul, (2020) Consumer Privacy and Data Protection, New York: Wolters Kluwer.
  • State v. Athan, 2007 158 P. 3d 27.
  • Statsky, William, (2011) Essentials of Torts, New York: Delmar.
  • Steele, Jenny, (2017) Tort Law: Text, Cases, and Materials, New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Time, Inc. v. Hill, (U.S. 1967) 385 U.S. 374, 376.
  • Wacks, Raymond, (2013) Privacy and Media Freedom, United Kingdom, OUP Oxford.
  • Wacks, Raymond, (2015) Privacy: A Very Short Introduction, New York: Oxford University Press.
  • White, Edward, (2003) Tort Law in America: An Intellectual History, New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Wilkins v. National Broadcasting Co., supra, 71 Cal.App.4th 1066, 1078.
  • Zacchini v. Scripps-Howard Broadcasting Co., 433 U.S. 562.
  • Zeran v. Am. Online, Inc., (4th Cir. Va. 1997) 129 F.3d 327, 328

Submit Manuscript

Reviewers

Contact Us