At this point, they're just littering.

I'm glad they're still trying. There's a huge basket near the mailbox in my apartment overflowing with junk mail. Last time I passed it, I thought about how the phone people had won that thing, and it bummed me out.

So, yay!

@1 Seriously. If we can't actually create a law blocking the delivery of phonebooks, can we at least get them on Conspiracy to Commit Littering or something equally inane?

What about their free speech ends with my property rights? It's been documented that the publishers ignore their private opt-out requests and via complaint, decided to address the issue for everyone in the city.

The publishers have a free speech right, but they can't force me to listen, especially on my own property. The city has a right to punish their refusal to stop when requested, both on my individual behalf and on behalf of all citizens who ask.

If this argument hasn't been made the city needs better lawyers.

How about someone dumps a truckload of phonebooks on their doorstep to demonstrate their right to free speech?

@5 I suggest scat porn magazines. That'll get the point across much more vividly.

I think they should have the right to invade my property to place their telephone books on it, provided I have the right to pour liquid sewage on to the property of all their executives homes and offices.

Fair?

We should start filing police complaints for trespassing. Seriously.

The 9th Circuit's opinion was baffling, at best. Their view that the Yellow Pages in some way don't constitute commercial speech is ridiculous, at best. The point of Yellow Pages is for people to search for folks involved in commerce.

Sure, only 35% of the YP might be paid ads, but that is a very low bar to set. I do hope that the 9th takes it up en banc, and issues a competent opinion.

The only people "trespassing" are the poor miserable bastards that are paid shit to deliver the fecking things. Idiotic ruling. Can I write a poem on an old crappy refrigerator lamenting the state of Seattle newspapers and deliver it to Frank Blethlen's house?

I like the dumping them in truckloads onto the publishers front steps idea!

BONFIRE!!

Or we can take them to the local locked psyche wards and have the patients,um excuse me, clients, spray them with glitter glue for their occupational therapy time. I can say this as a former 'client" of locked psyche wards in three states.

I don't get the free speech argument.

Okay, sure, they have every right to stand on a public street corner and give out there phone books to anyone willing to take one. But where in the First Amendment is it written that they can come onto my private property and dump crap that I have explicitly stated I don't want?

Would it be free speech if I bought several rolls of paper, filled them with advertisements and left them on the doorstep of THEIR home? No, that would be solicitation. Fuck solicitors and fuck their shit. If I'm ever left one of these I'm putting it in a woodchipper and spreading the ashes over 99 until they stop. I get enough spam in my email box, I don't need spam on my fucking doorstep and I will do everything in my power to ensure they get fined the maximum amount for their spam.