Supreme Court rules the government can't refuse to register trademarks considered offensive

[Revmitchell]

The Supreme Court has declared unconstitutional the federal government’s practice of refusing to register trademarks that officials deem to be offensive.

The justices ruled in favor of Simon Tam, the front man for an all-Asian-American rock band known as “The Slants.” The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office had refused to register the name, citing a law that denied trademarks that disparage individuals, institutions, beliefs or national symbols.

The result in the closely-watched case could doom legal challenges to other trademarks many consider offensive, such as that for the Washington Redskins football team.

Supreme Court rules the government can't refuse to register trademarks considered offensive

 

[Bro. Curtis]

8-0. Free speech rocks.

 

[InTheLight]

Washington Redskins name should be safe from USPTO for any future trademark renewals.

Sent from my Motorola Droid Turbo.

 

[Gold Dragon]

I'm not opposed to calling for changes to offensive names, but trademark registration is not where that should happen. In the commercial side, consumers have many options to voice their displeasure of offensive names with letters, petitions, websites and of course their pocketbook.

 

[Reynolds]

Washington Redskins name should be safe from USPTO for any future trademark renewals.

Sent from my Motorola Droid Turbo.

Yep. It should be legally safe. Nothing is safe from liberals once they make it one of their causes.