The government cannot censor trademarks because some people find them offensive, the Supreme Court ruled Monday in a major decision that could clear the way for the Washington Redskins football team to maintain its trademarks.
In an 8-0 ruling, the justices said the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office overstepped its powers and violated the First Amendment rights of an Asian-American rock band when it denied them a trademark on their name, The Slants.
The agency said the name was an offensive anti-Asian slur that violated a clause in federal law prohibiting disparaging trademarks. But the court said it’s the law, not the band, that must change.