COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A federal appeals court has upheld an Ohio law that bars dancers at adult clubs from touching patrons and each other.

In Wednesday's ruling, a three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati said the 2007 law does not go against the businesses' rights of free speech and expression.

The Columbus Dispatch reports ( http://bit.ly/n0z4TV ) the court agreed with a federal judge in Cleveland who also found no First Amendment violations.

Besides the "no touch" rule, the law also halts nude dancing in strip clubs after midnight. It also prohibits adult bookstores and theaters from being open between midnight and 6 a.m.

There was no immediate response from a lawyer who represented adult businesses that filed suit against the law.

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Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com