GTE Sylvania, Inc. v. Consumers Union of the United States, Inc.
445 U.S. 375 · Decided March 19, 1980 · 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
GTE Sylvania, Inc. v. Consumers Union of the United States, Inc. was decided on March 19, 1980 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Thurgood Marshall wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Freedom of Information Act and related laws” in the Privacy area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 445 U.S. 375 · 100 S. Ct. 1194 · 63 L. Ed. 2d 467 · 1980 U.S. LEXIS 11
- Docket number
- 78-1248
- Decided
- March 19, 1980
- Argued
- November 28, 1979
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Thurgood Marshall
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Freedom of Information Act and related laws
- Issue area
- Privacy
- Legal provision
- Article III, Section 2, Paragraph 1 (case or controversy requirement)
- Type of law
- Constitution
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority |
Full case caption
GTE Sylvania, Inc., et al. v. Consumers Union of the United States, Inc., et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1979-059, docket 1979-059-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Freedom of Information Act and related laws”
- Kissinger v. Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
- Forsham v. Harris
- Consumer Product Safety Commission v. GTE Sylvania, Inc.
- Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve System v. Merrill
- Upjohn Co. v. United States
- Chrysler Corp. v. Brown
Cases on the same legal provision: Article III, Section 2, Paragraph 1 (case or controversy requirement)
- Deposit Guaranty National Bank of Jackson v. Roper
- United States Parole Commission v. Geraghty
- Andrus v. Idaho
- Babbitt v. United Farm Workers National Union
- County of Los Angeles v. Davis
- H. L. v. Matheson
Same Term, same area (Privacy)
- Kissinger v. Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
- Forsham v. Harris
- Consumer Product Safety Commission v. GTE Sylvania, Inc.
- Harris v. McRae
- Williams v. Zbaraz
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