Hello all I was wondering if somebody could help me to further understand the limitations of a corporations legal power in regards to protesting that may harm a company image. Using McDonalds as an example (..with Super Size me and the "McLibel" case in the UK..just makes sense)...if someone wanted to protest a corporation what would the legal limits of the protest be? It is my understanding that slander only pertains to the reputation of a person and not a business entity. However the laws of libel and libel per se and extremely sensitive to intrepretation. So what is the limits of a corporations power to "hush" a group of protestors? What are the legal limits of the protestors? Anyone further information...especially resources available for reading that are easily accessible would be greatly appreciated. P.S. I am literally placing money with my friends on a bet that no one on this site will even respond with relevant information...but I seriously doubt I will lose.

-Libel is a defamatory statement expressed in a fixed medium such as a writing, picture, sign or electronic broadcast. Slander is a defamatory statement expressed in a transitory form such as speech.

-Product disparagement law prohibits certain false claims about another's goods or services. While a defamatory statement harms the reputation and character of a person or corporation, a product disparaging statement harms the marketability of the goods being disparaged. Product disparagement is typically harder to prove.

-State, local and federal governments can regulate how people express themselves, provided that they adhere to certain principles laid down by the United States Supreme Court.