Prof. Kirtley Quoted in Business Journal on Michael Jordan Lawsuit Against Supervalu

Professor Jane Kirtley was quoted by the Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal in a story about basketball star Michael Jordan's lawsuit against Supervalu's subsidiary Jewel-Osco, in which he claimed that the grocery store had made unauthorized use of his name and team number in a tribute to Jordan that ran in a 2009 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine. The judge ruled that the tribute was not commercial speech despite the use of Jewel-Osco's logo because it did not propose a business transaction. Kirtley explained that corporate speech is protected by the First Amendment, adding, "Simply because you are speaking to make money doesn't turn speech into commercial speech."