Washington D.C.- The Supreme Court of the United States issued a ruling on Monday that the government cannot refuse to issue trademarks that are considered offensive.
The ruling came in response to the case of Matal v. Tam( formerly known as Lee v. Tam); regarding the band’s name ” The Slants”. In the ruling, the justices state that the part of a law which allows the government to bar disparaging trademarks violates free speech. The Slants tried to trademark their name in 2011 but were denied.
The basis of the suit is described below.
Matal v. Tam, No. 15-1293 [Arg: 1.18.2017 Trans./Aud.; Decided 6.19.2017]
Holding: Whether the disparagement provision of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. 1052(a), which provides that no trademark shall be refused registration on account of its nature unless, inter alia, it “[c]onsists of . . . matter which may disparage . . . persons, living or dead, institutions, beliefs, or national symbols, or bring them into contempt, or disrepute” is facially invalid under the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment.
The ruling bolsters the Redskins claim after their trademark name was canceled in 2015.
You can read the full ruling from the Supreme Court here.