USA

San Francisco Gate: Supreme Court to take up Nike and free speech.S.F. activist sued, saying firm lied about working conditions

A San Francisco consumer activist's suit against Nike Inc. is headed for the Supreme Court and a ruling that could redraw the boundaries between free speech and regulated advertising.

The court agreed Friday to review an appeal by the world's largest athletic shoe manufacturer and decide whether a common form of public relations -- designed to promote a company's image by defending its record on controversial issues -- amounts to a sales pitch or an entry in the marketplace of ideas.