ABFE Joins Two Legal Briefs Supporting the Right to Read In the last week, American Booksellers for Free Expression (ABFE) has joined two amicus briefs supporting the right to read in Iowa and Mississippi. An amicus curiae (or “friend of the court”) brief is a way for parties not represented in a case, but who have an interest in its outcome, to offer their perspective. PRH v. Robbins On July 24, 2025, ABFE joined a broad coalition of authors, publishers, and advocacy groups to file an amicus brief in support of the plaintiffs in Penguin Random House, LLC v. Robbins. The suit challenges an unconstitutional Iowa law, SF 496, that would prohibit certain books referencing sexual content in the state’s public school libraries. The plaintiffs argue that the law would eliminate access to hundreds of books. Books at risk for removal include classics such as I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou and Maus by Art Spiegelman. Read our full statement and the amicus brief here. NetChoice v. Fitch On July 29, 2025, ABFE joined a coalition of authors, publishers, and librarians to support minors’ access to protected speech on social media sites. In their latest step challenging Mississippi’s age-verification law for social media sites, NetChoice filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court, requesting that they vacate the Fifth Circuit’s unreasoned, one-line order staying a preliminary injunction against the law. ABFE and the other amici share an interest in protecting free expression about literature and other issues online, especially given the essential role of social media in driving book sales. You can read the full amicus brief on BookWeb. Tariff update The US and European Union struck a trade deal on Sunday, July 27, resulting in a 15% baseline tariff on most EU goods, as reported by Reuters. In addition, in the past few weeks, the US has made trade deals with Indonesia, Japan, the UK, and Vietnam. Books are still exempt from these tariffs, but there are ways the tariffs can impact bookstores (through book and shipping prices, or consumer spending) and things are still in motion. The administration is expected to release more information about these recent deals soon. Visit Advocacy’s tariff page for a full rundown of tariffs. |
