666
Breyer, J., dissenting
"the record discloses noncommercial speech, addressed to a topic of public interest and responding to public criticism of Nike's labor practices." App. to Pet. for Cert. 78a. The Court of Appeal added that it saw "no merit to [Kasky's] scattershot argument that he might still be able to state a cause of action on some theory allowing content-related abridgement of noncommercial speech." Id., at 79a.
Kasky appealed to the California Supreme Court. He focused on the commercial nature of the communications at issue, while pointing to language in this Court's cases stating that the First Amendment, while offering protection to truthful commercial speech, does not protect false or misleading commercial speech, see Central Hudson Gas & Elec. Corp. v. Public Serv. Comm'n of N. Y., 447 U. S. 557, 563 (1980). Kasky did not challenge the lower courts' denial of leave to amend his complaint. He also conceded that, if Nike's statements fell outside the category of "commercial speech," the First Amendment protected them and "the ultimate issue is resolved in Nike's favor." Appellant's Brief on the Merits in No. S087859 (Cal.), p. 1; accord, Appellant's Reply Brief in No. S087859 (Cal.), pp. 1-2.
The California Supreme Court held that the speech at issue falls within the category of "commercial speech." Consequently, the California Supreme Court concluded, the First Amendment does not protect Nike's statements insofar as they were false or misleading—regardless of whatever role they played in a public debate. 27 Cal. 4th 939, 946, 969, 45 P. 3d 243, 247, 262 (2002). Hence, according to the California Supreme Court, the First Amendment does not bar Kasky's lawsuit—a lawsuit that alleges false advertising and related unfair competition (which, for ease of exposition, I shall henceforth use the words "false advertising" to describe). The basic issue presented here is whether the California Supreme Court's ultimate holding is legally correct. Does the First Amendment permit Kasky's false advertising "prosecution" to go forward?
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