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Judge Denies Ford Internet Request By JUSTIN HYDE= Associated Press Writer= DETROIT (AP) _ A federal judge Tuesday denied Ford Motor Co.'s request to block a man from putting Ford's internal documents on his Internet site, saying such an order would violate the First Amendment. U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds did ban Robert Lane, a 32-year-old nursing student and Ford enthusiast, from destroying any Ford documents he might have. She also ordered Lane not to violate Ford copyrights and ordered him not to solicit information from Ford employees. Ford claimed publishing the documents violated laws against disclosing trade secrets. But Edmunds said while Ford had a strong case, blocking Lane from putting the documents on the Internet would be an illegal prior restraint of speech. ``The courts have steadfastly held that the First Amendment does not permit the prior restraint of speech by way of injunction, even in circumstances where the disclosure threatens vital economic interests,'' Edmunds wrote in her opinion. Lane and his site, www.BlueOvalNews.com, had been under a temporary restraining order issued Aug. 25 ordering himàno do remarkable things when it comes to our freedoms ... even when faced by huge corporations such as the Ford Motor Company!'' said a message posted on the site Tuesday. In a statement, Ford said it was pleased with the ruling because it kept Lane from duplicating Ford documents protected by copyright. Ford spokesman Terry Bresnihan said the company has not decided whether to pursue any further actions against Lane. Lane has testified he has received 112 Ford documents from anonymous sources, including blueprints and production schedules. Among the documents is an internal memo detailing problems with the 1999 Mustang SVT Cobra. Ford announced recently that all 5,300 models sold had been recalled to fix exhaust problems that cut as much as 50 horsepower from the 320 horsepower the car is supposed to have. In a court filing, Ford claimed Lane has ``inflicted irreparable harm'' by posting blueprints for new engines, schedules for new vehicles and product planning memos.
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