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Decisions: Mailed Junk & Privacy Bunk

To raise a bit of extra revenue, New York State sells its list of motor-vehicle owners, complete with addresses, to the highest bidder. New York vehicle owners are thereupon inundated with predictable bales of junk mail, sales-pitch telephone calls, and even personal visits by hawkers of various products. The situation became so intolerable to Old Leftist Author and 1967 Valiant Owner Corliss Lament that he sued to prevent the state from selling his name. In the warming winds of judicial concern over invasion of privacy, Lament thought his chances good.

No luck. In a sprightly opinion, U.S. District Judge Marvin...

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