Amicus Brief of CDT in the Case of Scott Roberts vs. Kauffman Racing Equipment

This case presents an important issue of law that directly implicates CDT’s areas of expertise and its role in advancing the public’s interest in a free and innovative Internet. The Internet has given rise to a new era in which the majority of Americans can make their views available to a national audience, vastly increasing the importance of the Court’s rules governing personal jurisdiction for intentional tort claims. An overly permissive personal jurisdiction standard for cases presenting allegations of intentional torts, such as the  standard adopted in this case by the Ohio Supreme Court, harms online speech and inhibits the opportunities for innovative economic growth available online. As a source of and advocate for pragmatic approaches to novel problems posed by technological change, CDT can explain the importance of clarifying and properly developing personal jurisdiction rules for the Internet age.