Legal considerations when consumer opinion web sites parody companies or brands

As the Internet has become a "modern symbol of the classical market of ideas," consumer opinion sites that parody companies or brands have become popular in cyberspace. This article examines various legal issues and cases that might be applicable to parody sites in the light of copyright laws, trademark laws, libel laws, and service provider liability. Looking at a possibility that parody sites can lie in the tension between free speech rights, intellectual property interests, and libel issues, this article discusses how parody sites can enjoy First Amendment freedoms by avoiding legal pitfalls. Under the First Amendment, commercial speech is less protected than is non-commercial speech. Unfortunately, the distinction between commercial and non-commercial speech is unclear, particularly in the Internet environment.