White Buffalo Ventures v. University of Texas
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
420 F.3d 366 (2005)
- Written by Miller Jozwiak, JD
Facts
The University of Texas at Austin (UT) (defendant) provided all students with free email addresses. White Buffalo Ventures, LLC (White Buffalo) (plaintiff) operated online dating services. Among White Buffalo’s websites was one targeting UT students. White Buffalo, through a public-information request, sought a list of UT students’ email addresses. UT complied with the request. White Buffalo then began sending unsolicited mass emails (i.e., spam) to UT students’ email addresses. Students began complaining to UT, which investigated the emails. UT sent White Buffalo a cease-and-desist letter, with which White Buffalo refused to comply. UT then blocked all emails from an IP address associated with the spam. UT later claimed to have done so to protect (1) email users’ time and interests and (2) the efficiency of its network servers. White Buffalo eventually sued UT, claiming that UT had violated the First Amendment. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of UT, and White Buffalo appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Smith, J.)
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