A U.S. Federal Appeals Court ruled that a ban on newspaper racks in airports violates the First Amendment, according to a report by the American Association of Independent News Distributors.

Citing a story in The News & Observer of Raleigh, N.C., the AAIND noted the 2-1 decision by the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals last week stemming from a case involving the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority.

“The government interests asserted to justify the ban do not counterbalance its significant restriction on protected expression,” the panel said in a 35-page opinion.