Calm Down Porn People: Calif. Supreme Court’s Ruling Doesn’t Say What You Think (YNOT)

Read the full article by Gene Zorkin at YNOT.com

SAN FRANCISCO – On Twitter today, there’s a conversation about a holding from the California Supreme Court in the case White v. Square – a lawsuit in which bankruptcy attorney Robert White sued Square, Inc., alleging that Square’s seller agreement discriminated against bankruptcy attorneys in violation of the Unruh Civil Rights Act.

So, why are some folks in the adult industry so excited about this case? Because non-attorneys think the court’s ruling means payment processors can’t discriminate against potential clients on the basis of their occupation.

If this were what the California Supreme Court’s holding meant, it would indeed be a significant development for the adult industry. Unfortunately, that reading of the court’s ruling is wrong.

The court’s ruling is narrowly focused on White’s standing to bring a suit against Square. It says nothing at all about the merits of his claim – and the court literally said so in its ruling.

Gene Zorkin has been covering legal and political issues for various adult publications (and under a variety of different pen names) since 2002.