TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Jan 19, 2017
The U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday began to review the constitutionality of a federal law that denies protection to disparaging trademarks. According to a Reuters report published by the Daily Mail, the case was brought by the Asian-American rock band The Slants, who were denied a trademark on the name after the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office deemed it offensive to Asians. The band’s attorney claims the decision violates the group's First Amendment rights. The court’s ruling could set new parameters for trademark registration, and could affect other high-profile disputes, such as the case of the Washington Redskins football team's trademark, which was canceled in 2014.