Asian-American Group The Slants Head to Supreme Court Over Band Name
The Slants, an Asian-American rock band out of Portland, will have a hearing in front of the Supreme Court on January 18th in an effort to gain the trademark over their band name, bringing a seven-year Freedom of Speech battle closer to conclusion.
“We are pleased that this matter will be reviewed by the Supreme Court of the United States, and look forward to the vindication of the First Amendment rights of Mr. [Simon] Tam and the other members of the Slants,” the Slants’ law firm Archer & Greiner said in a statement.
“We strongly believe that [this case] ‘In re Tam’ raises important legal and public policy-related free speech issues that warrant the Supreme Court’s affirmation.”
The lawsuit stems from Slants founder Simon Tam’s failed attempt to copyright the name “the Slants”: The band’s application was rejected several times because it violated the Lanham Act, which prevents applicants from trademarking disparaging terms; in rejecting the Slants’ application, the trademark office cited UrbanDictionary.com as evidence that the term was derogatory.
The Slants, who viewed their name as a commentary…