Bill protecting US writers abroad goes to Obama

MONTGOMERY, Ala.

An Alabama senator said a bill passed by Congress will protect American authors, journalists and publishers from foreign libel judgments that undermine the U.S. guarantee of free speech.

The House approved the legislation by voice vote Tuesday and sent it to President Barack Obama. The bill, authored by Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., and Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., won Senate approval last week.

Under the bill, U.S. federal courts will be prevented from recognizing or enforcing a foreign judgment for defamation that is inconsistent with the free speech guarantee in the Constitution.

Defendants in foreign cases can obtain a U.S. court order declaring that a foreign judgment would not be enforceable under American law.

Sessions said the bill is an important bipartisan achievement that will protect free speech.

"It will ensure that American writers cannot be penalized by foreign libel judgments that do not comply with American law, removing a dangerous chilling effect on the exercise of First Amendment rights," Sessions said Wednesday.

Sessions is the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee and Leahy is the committee chairman.