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SPORTS Tuesday 20 June 2017

Sports

Justices say
law on offensive

trademarks is MAEDA
unconstitutional

By SAM HANANEL PHYSICAL
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The
Supreme Court on Mon-
day struck down part of
a law that bans offensive
trademarks, ruling in favor
of an Asian-American rock
band called the Slants and
giving a major boost to
the Washington Redskins
in their separate legal fight
over the team name.
The justices were unani-
mous in saying that the
71-year-old trademark law
barring disparaging terms
infringes free speech rights
guaranteed in the Consti-
tution’s First Amendment.
“It offends a bedrock
First Amendment princi-
ple: Speech may not be
banned on the ground
that it expresses ideas that
offend,” Justice Samuel
Alito said in his opinion for
the court.
Slants founder Simon Tam
tried to trademark the
band name in 2011, but the
U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office denied the request
on the ground that it dis-
parages Asians. A federal
appeals court in Washing-
ton later said the law bar-
ring offensive trademarks
is unconstitutional and the
Supreme Court agreed. L.A. holds on to beat Reds, 8-7
The Redskins made simi-
lar arguments after the
trademark office ruled in
2014 that the name of-
fends American Indians
and canceled the team’s
trademark. That case, be-
fore a federal appeals
court in Richmond, had
been on hold while the Su-
preme Court considered
the Slants case.
Tam insisted he was not Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Kenta
trying to be offensive, but Maeda throws in the first inning of a baseball
wanted to transform a de- game against the Cincinnati Reds, Sunday,
risive term into a statement June 18, 2017, in Cincinnati.
of pride. Associated Press
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