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Federal Circuit Overturns Prohibition On "Disparaging" Trademarks (arstechnica.com)

Posted by samzenpus on from the sticks-and-stones dept.

New submitter flopsquad writes: On December 22, the Federal Circuit released a decision overturning, on First Amendment grounds, the part of US trademark law that prohibits registration of "disparaging" marks. This case concerned the USTPO's refusal to register a mark for the Asian-American band "The Slants". However, the decision will no doubt have wider implications for brands such as the embattled Washington Redskins, whose mark was ordered canceled earlier this year.

3 of 118 comments (clear)

  1. Doesn't anybody have a sense of humor these days?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think "The Slants" is a brilliant name!!!

  2. Re:Doesn't anybody have a sense of humor these day by phantomfive · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Also, who gets to decide what's disparaging or not?

    Nobody anymore, according to the supreme court.

    What if someone decides that words like "Christian" are disparaging?

    That's why this is a good decision by the supreme court.

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  3. Re:Doesn't anybody have a sense of humor these day by Tokolosh · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "If you stay here much longer, you will go home with slitty eyes." – Prince Philip, speaking to a British student during a trip to China in 1986.

    --
    Prove anything by multiplying Huge Number times Tiny Number