Bose Corp. v. Consumers Union of United States, Inc.
466 U.S. 485 · Decided April 30, 1984 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Bose Corp. v. Consumers Union of United States, Inc. was decided on April 30, 1984 by a vote of 6–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Libel and defamation” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 466 U.S. 485 · 104 S. Ct. 1949 · 80 L. Ed. 2d 502 · 1984 U.S. LEXIS 73
- Docket number
- 82-1246
- Decided
- April 30, 1984
- Argued
- November 8, 1983
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Libel and defamation
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Dissent |
Full case caption
Bose Corp. v. Consumers Union of United States, Inc.
SCDB identifiers: case 1983-085, docket 1983-085-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Libel and defamation”
- McDonald v. Smith
- Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. v. Greenmoss Builders, Inc.
- Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc. v. HeppsLaw held unconstitutional
- Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
- Hustler Magazine and Larry C. Flynt v. Jerry Falwell
- Hutchinson v. Proxmire
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Members of the City Council of the City of Los Angeles v. Taxpayers for Vincent
- Seattle Times Co. v. Rhinehart
- Clark v. Community for Creative Non-Violence
- Regan v. Time, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Minnesota State Board for Community Colleges v. Knight
- Press-Enterprise Co. v. Superior Court of California
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Press-Enterprise Co. v. Superior Court of California
- Minnesota State Board for Community Colleges v. Knight
- Lynch v. Donnelly
- Members of the City Council of the City of Los Angeles v. Taxpayers for Vincent
- Seattle Times Co. v. Rhinehart
- Secretary of State of Maryland v. Joseph H. Munson Co., Inc.Law held unconstitutional
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error