Ohio Code § 2747.01

§ 2747.01.

(A) As used in this section: (1) “ Goods or services ” does not include the creation, dissemination, exhibition, or advertisement, or a

similar promotion, of a dramatic, literary, musical, political, journalistic, or artistic

work. (2) “ Governmental unit ” means the government of the United States, the state, a political subdivision of

the state, or any department, agency, board, commission, or other instrumentality

of the government of the United States, the state, or a political subdivision. (3) “ Person ” includes an individual, estate, trust, partnership, business or nonprofit entity,

governmental unit, or other legal entity. (B) Except as provided in division (C) of this section, this chapter applies to a cause

of action asserted in a civil action against a person based on any of the following: (1) The person's communication in a legislative, executive, judicial, administrative,

or other governmental proceeding; (2) The person's communication on an issue under consideration or review in a legislative,

executive, judicial, administrative, or other governmental proceeding; (3) The person's exercise of the right of freedom of speech and of the press, the right

to assemble and petition, and the right of association, guaranteed by the United States

Constitution or the Ohio Constitution, on a matter of public concern. (C) This chapter does not apply to any of the following: (1) A legal action against a governmental unit or an employee or agent of the governmental

unit who was acting or purporting to act in an official capacity; (2) An enforcement action that is brought in the name of a governmental unit to protect

against an imminent threat to public health or safety; (3) A legal action brought against a person primarily engaged in the business of selling

or leasing goods or services, if the cause of action arises out of communication related

to the person's sale or lease of the goods or services; (4) A survivorship claim or a legal action seeking recovery for bodily injury or wrongful

death, or statements made regarding that claim or legal action. (D) Nothing in this chapter is intended to create any new statutory cause of action. (E) The general assembly, in enacting this chapter, intends to confer substantive immunity

from suit, and not merely immunity from liability, for any cause of action described

in division (B) of this section.