Justices say law on offensive trademarks is unconstitutional

WTOP News [Washington DC] ^ | June 19, 2017 10:35 am | AP

[COBOL2Java]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday struck down part of a law that bans offensive trademarks in a ruling that is expected to help the Washington Redskins in their legal fight over the team name.

The justices ruled that the 71-year-old trademark law barring disparaging terms infringes free speech rights.

The ruling is a victory for the Asian-American rock band called the Slants, but the case was closely watched for the impact it would have on the separate dispute involving the Washington football team.

Slants founder Simon Tam tried to trademark the band name in 2011, but the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied the request on the ground that it disparages Asians. A federal appeals court in Washington later said the law barring offensive trademarks is unconstitutional.

The Redskins made similar arguments after the trademark office ruled in 2014 that the name offends American Indians and canceled the team’s trademark. A federal appeals court in Richmond put the team’s case on hold while waiting for the Supreme Court to rule in the Slants case.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

OUCH

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

LOL

[ExTxMarine]

If using disparaging names, and symbols and flags are okay--because they don't offend you and you want to not worry about others--then I presume you were perfectly fine with some skinheads out flying the confederate and nazi flags and do Heil Hitler salutes. Maybe they live in the DC area, so they'll wear Redskin memorabilia, put pig snouts on their faces, and Indian headdress.

It seems to me that you want to lump everyone who wears a Redskins shirt into one group...most conservatives don't think like this.

If a group of idiots (i.e., BLM, skinheads, whatever...) are all wearing Seattle Seahawks gear, I don't assume that all Seahawks fans are racist skinheads or racist blacks! I don't assume that the Seattle Seahawks team supports that particular nutjob group and their radicalism!

Nope, like MOST conservatives, I just live my happily knowing that THOSE PARTICULAR Seahawks fans are real a$$holes and racists. See the difference?

[USMCPOP]

“...My wife would smack me up side the head is I ever called her an Asian; she’s Oriental....”

I sometimes refer to my wife as “blackhead” or “Dragon Lady”. My Thai sister-in-law and I also call her E-gaa, which is a somewhat impolite form of Old Lady.

[NativeSon]

I'm not willing to go THAT far for the cause- I reckon it'd be a real pain in the *ass!

[NativeSon]

I’m going to (not culturally) appropriate that image.

[RKBA Democrat]

By appropriation I mean the slur. I’m white so I would appropriate the slur honky or cracker.

[zaxtres]

Momma always said it’s always better to be the yankee than the yanker.

[Gay State Conservative]

Yelling “fire” in a crowded theater puts people in danger.Calling a team “the Redskins” doesn't.Calling someone “cracker” or “nigga”,while surely impolite,doesn't.

[Gay State Conservative]

The only race that gets true "red skin" are caucasians.

I spent a good portion of my childhood...and a fair portion of my early adulthood...looking like her.So now I get to put the kids of my Dermatologist...and some faceless Pathologists...through Harvard with all the biopsies I've had.

[Impala64ssa]

Straight outta central Florida!