https://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2026/10/four-justices-one-mega-publisher-and-a-supreme-court-copyright-debacle-guest-blog-post.htm Mon, 26 Oct 2026 14:43:10 +0000 hourly 1 https://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2026/10/four-justices-one-mega-publisher-and-a-supreme-court-copyright-debacle-guest-blog-post.htm#comment-4695 Mon, 26 Oct 2026 14:43:10 +0000 https://blog.ericgoldman.org/?p=29362#comment-4695 […] a commentary published on Eric Goldman’s blog, Professor Guy Rub connects the recusals to those justices’ publishing relationships with Penguin […]

]]> https://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2026/10/four-justices-one-mega-publisher-and-a-supreme-court-copyright-debacle-guest-blog-post.htm#comment-4694 Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:00:52 +0000 https://blog.ericgoldman.org/?p=29362#comment-4694 […] un comentario publicado en el blog de Eric Goldman, el profesor Guy Rub vincula las recusaciones con las relaciones editoriales de esos jueces con […]

]]> https://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2026/10/four-justices-one-mega-publisher-and-a-supreme-court-copyright-debacle-guest-blog-post.htm#comment-4693 Fri, 23 Oct 2026 20:39:00 +0000 https://blog.ericgoldman.org/?p=29362#comment-4693 Non-lawyer here. If there can be a carve-out for book royalties in the ethics rules, could there be a carve-out for recusals in the quorum rules? That is, we want justices to recuse themselves freely when appropriate, and we also want cases decided. Maybe "too many judges recusing" should not stop a case from being heard and decided.

]]> https://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2026/10/four-justices-one-mega-publisher-and-a-supreme-court-copyright-debacle-guest-blog-post.htm#comment-4692 Fri, 23 Oct 2026 17:05:58 +0000 https://blog.ericgoldman.org/?p=29362#comment-4692 […] https://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2026/10/four-justices-one-mega-publisher-and-a-supreme-court-c… […]

]]> https://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2026/10/four-justices-one-mega-publisher-and-a-supreme-court-copyright-debacle-guest-blog-post.htm#comment-4691 Fri, 23 Oct 2026 13:58:00 +0000 https://blog.ericgoldman.org/?p=29362#comment-4691 After Baker v. Coates, this debacle was entirely predictable. And it's frankly ludicrous that SCOTUS is unable to decide copyright cases involving one of the world's biggest publishers because multiple justices have side gigs as published authors. I am hesitant, however, to suggest that the exception for publishing deals be carved out of the side income limitation, because that just further incentivizes justices to go the route Justice Thomas did and accept all sorts of gifts, vacations, etc. from billionaire "friends." The answer is probably to pay the justices more, but I don't know if that would fly politically.

]]> https://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2026/10/four-justices-one-mega-publisher-and-a-supreme-court-copyright-debacle-guest-blog-post.htm#comment-4690 Fri, 23 Oct 2026 13:41:51 +0000 https://blog.ericgoldman.org/?p=29362#comment-4690 […] [Postscript: On October 19, 2026, the Supreme Court summarily affirmed the Fifth Circuit’s decision, without an opinion, because it lacked a quorum of six justices to decide the case.  Four justices were recused, presumably because they have book deals with Penguin Random House, a corporate sibling of BMG Rights Management, one of the petitioners.  Prof. Guy Rub comments on the problems created by the recusal here.] […]

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