Contemporary Business and Online Commerce Law 7th Edition by Henry R Cheeseman

Exercise 6

Commercial Speech The city of San Diego, California, enacted a city zoning ordinance that prohibited outdoor advertising display signs, including billboards. On-site signs at a business location were exempted from this rule. The city based the restriction on traffic safety and aesthetics. Metromedia, Inc., a company in the business of leasing commercial billboards to advertisers, sued the city of San Diego, alleging that the zoning ordinance was unconstitutional. Is it? Metromedia, Inc. v. City of San Diego, 453 U.S. 490, 101 S.Ct. 2882, 69 L.Ed.2d 800, Web 1981 U.S. Lexis 50 (Supreme Court of the United States)

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Facts of the Case

• Zoning ordinance in San Diego, California restricted the usage of billboards and other related mechanisms of outdoor advertising.

• On-sit signs and symbols placed at a particular business location were not covered under this ordinance.

• This was done in order to ensure safety of traffic and beautification of the city.

• There is a company named Metromedia Inc.

• The company is in the business of giving commercial billboards space on lease to all advertisers in the city.

• Considering the negative impact on its business the company sued the city of San Diego on the contention that this zoning rule is unconstitutional.