Short Take: State attorney general can prosecute outside N.Y.

The New York State Supreme Court has ruled that online advertisers who mislead consumers can be prosecuted by the state's attorney general even if the accused live outside the state. The ruling appears to conflict with another New York court decision last week, which said a state Internet law prohibiting indecent material violated the Constitution's interstate commerce clause. This clause forbids one state from regulating another state's commercial activity.