Supreme Court Takes Up Trademark Case That Might Affect Redskins
- Court to consider free-speech claims over band name The Slants
- Lower court threw out provision against disparaging trademarks
Chris Thompson #25 of the Washington Redskins plays against the New York Giants on Sept. 25, 2016, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Photographer: Al Bello/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
The U.S. Supreme Court accepted a new case with implications for the Washington Redskins’ name controversy, agreeing to decide whether the federal government can withhold legal protections for trademarks it concludes are disparaging.
The justices on Thursday said they’ll consider whether federal trademark examiners violated the Constitution’s free-speech guarantee when they rejected an application from the lead singer of The Slants, an Asian-American dance-rock band.