When the founding fathers established the right to free speech, they hardly could have had AOL Time Warner Inc. and AT&T Corp. in mind.

But major corporations are increasingly casting themselves as 21st century Thomas Paines whose commercial pursuits are a form of speech that should be shielded from government regulation, just as anti-war activists and abortion opponents believe they should be free to express their views.

In recent months, some federal court rulings have suggested that corporate America is making headway, particularly in the cable television, Internet and information industries.

These successes are rekindling a debate over how far to extend free-speech protections and whose constitutional interests should prevail when citizens are pitted against corporations. (visit story link for more)