Copyright Laws vs. The First Amendment

Can copyright laws take precedence over the first amendment? In various different situations people have been protected by their right of freedom of speech. However, have the laws of copyright become an exception? Where is the line drawn between protecting ones creativity and work and expressing one freedom to speak their mind? In 1996 a federal court in Virginia ruled in favor of the Church of Scientology for the future protection of copyright laws. A Virginia resident Arnaldo Lerma was said to have made wholesale postings of scientology’s material on the internet. All materials were then seized from his house, and he was charged with violations against copyright laws. At his defense he stated that he was only exercising his rights to freedom of speech clearly stated in the first amendment. The Church of Scientology has always been a strong advocate of freedom of speech and the free flow of information, however in this particular situation they seem to be contradicting themselves in hoping to protect information from reaching those outside of their organization.