My very first job in high school was to be a file clerk for my uncle's local phone directory network in southern california. He made shitloads up to that point but the writing was on the wall even in 1996.

This is their livelihood, so I don't see any reason why they would simply roll over; even if the writing is inevitably on the wall.

Really, what other option do they have? If they were to abide by the ruling, they would see their ad rates plummet due to demonstrably reduced demand for their product. So, I'm sure their logic is: "better to fight tooth-and-nail to hang onto our currently lucrative business, rather than admit our rates are pure bunk, since almost nobody actually uses our worthless doorstopping tree-killers anymore."

Why would they ever stop?

If they can appeal all the way to our corporate-owned supreme court, they win!

Comte is 100% correct.

If this ruling stands, it means the death of the profitable phone book industry. Their entire justification for their ad rates is based on their near universal distribution. If their circulation plummets, so will their ad rates. If their circulation dropped more than 10% after only a brief time period, just think how much more it will drop over time as more and more people become aware of this option.

Not only here, but nationally too. There are already a bunch of other cities considering similar laws, which will surely follow if it is ruled legal here.

The yellow pages can't come to their senses and go along with this. It would be suicidal to their business. They have no choice but to fight it to the death. Theirs.

It can't come too soon.

The last time I looked at a phonebook there were so many ads it made it hard to flip the pages! I remember when we went from rotary dial phones to push button and you got a human on the phone right away. I also remember the switch from black & white TV to Color. Technology changes our world the people making phone books need to be smart enough to see the end coming & get re-trained! I don’t hear people who are in the payphone industry or the video rental industry crying that's because they were smart enough to see the end coming & move on to a job that is in demand.

San Francisco just banned unsolicited (no opt-out list, you actually have to specifically opt-in if you want one, starting next year) phone books outright.

Just one more thing can we opt out of junk mail??

I wouldn't mind having a 9th Cir. opinion upholding the opt-out program, actually.

I'm not a lawyer, but the legal arguments (like the phone books) are garbage too.

Content-based discrimination on speech? BOOM, commercial speech exception! City's program will pass intermediate scrutiny.

Dormant commerce clause? BOOM, no overt discrimination against out-of-staters, and the city will win a cost/benefit balancing test.

See you in court; the judge will throw the (phone) book at you!

Well, I am a lawyer, and the minute you say the words "Commerce Clause," the Supreme Court bends over and kisses your ass. I don't agree with it, but that's the way it is, folks.

I just re-read their video game opinion, and I think the Roberts Court could find the Yellow Pages to be protected speech without even breathing hard. Thanks again, Ralph!

@10:

But wouldn't there be some difference between the two issues, since people who purchase video games have to make a conscious, active effort to do so, as opposed to phone books, where they just magically appear on your doorstep unbidden? I mean they can't even use the "well, we sent it through USPS and mail boxes are protected venues for the dissemination of speech" dodge; they're just dumping them willy-nilly on your property without your permission. In any other context that would be considered "littering", which is clearly illegal; so why not this?

Even if they manage to appeal and win, isn't it going to be difficult to sell advertisements if the people they're pitching to are aware that they had to sue for the right to dump their stupid books on the doorsteps of people who don't intend to look at it?