Matal (formerly Lee) v. Tam

Matal v. Tam was argued at the Court on January 18, 2017 and decided on June 19, 2017.

This is a case about when trademark protection and the First Amendment collide—what happens when someone wants a trademark but the government isn’t willing register a trademark because the name offends many people? Is this a violation of the First Amendment? It involves a band, disparaging terms, and the First Amendment, and could have significant consequences for the NFL team in Washington, DC.

Case Summary

• Matal v. Tam (2017)

Case Briefs

• Petitioner: Michelle Lee, Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
• Respondent: Simon Tam, leader of the band The Slants
• Amici: Available on the SCOTUSblog case page

Oral Argument

• Transcript of the oral argument
• Audio of the oral argument (via Oyez.org)

Decision

• Link to SCOTUS opinion

News Articles and Resources

• Supreme Court to review case important to Redskins trademark fight (Washington Post)
• Should We Be Able to Reclaim a Racist Insult - as a Registered Trademark (New York Times Magazine)