Asian-American Band Fights To Trademark Name 'The Slants'

NPR ^ | 20 Oct 2013 | Kat Chow

[Viennacon]

If this is in any way illegal, I want every damn rapper who says the N-word jailed for hate crimes.

They ARE Asians!

[dfwgator]

They can be “The Band Formerly Known As The Slants.”

[Dr. Ursus]

Paging Bob Costas!

[Hugin]

My guess is they’ll win their case, and get a ton of publicity they couldn’t pay for. If the Patent Office had just issued it we might never have heard of them.

[88keys]

Hey, "artistic license"!! And I personally applaud them for breaking that pseudo-barrier, "slants" is pejorative...sez who?? OH, the government...SHEESH!

Land of the free, and a most excellent marketing gimmick. That's what it's all about, isn't it? Wonder what the modern Patent Office would make of such band names as "Black Sabbath" or "Blind Faith"? I say, rock on, Slants!!!

[familyop]

"...saying that 'slants' is a disparaging term for people of Asian descent."

That's not true. Asian Caucasians, Indians, Arabs and others have no consideration of such disparagement. What's the big problem with the honest and accurate term, Oriental?

[familyop]

"'In other words, if I was white, this wouldn't be an issue at all,' Tam, who goes by 'Simon Young' onstage, is of Taiwanese and Chinese descent."

Dude, you're whiter than I am, and I'm regarded as a white American.

[5thGenTexan]

They can do that? For that reason?

Sure they can. The PTO knows this term is offensive to them, they are just not smart enough to understand that.

Kind of like the native amaerican tribes that think they are not offended by "Redskins", but Bob Costas and Obama know better.

[SunkenCiv]

The Slants, a six-member band from Portland, Ore., calls their sound "Chinatown Dance Rock" -- a little bit New Order, a little bit Depeche Mode. They describe themselves as one of the first Asian-American rock bands.

They really missed the boat -- they should call themselves "The Slant Six".

[SunkenCiv]

The article is by Kat Chow?!? LOLOL!