Free Speech Victories: Sports, Bands and Beer Win in the Courts

Event The Constitution
Event The Constitution

October 20, 2017 Free Speech Victories: Sports, Bands and Beer Win in the Courts

Should “offensive” band names be allowed to receive a federal trademark? Can a state ban “offensive” beer labels without violating the First Amendment?

Friday, Oct 20, 2017

5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

The Heritage Foundation

214 Massachusetts Ave NE
Washington, DC
20002

Description

Should “offensive” band names be allowed to receive a federal trademark? Can a state ban “offensive” beer labels without violating the First Amendment? Last term, the Supreme Court handed a decisive victory to Simon Tam and his Chinatown dance rock band, The Slants, after the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office refused to register the band’s name for “disparaging” Asians. In 2015, another federal court delivered a win to Flying Dog Brewery after the Michigan Liquor Control Commission banned their Belgian-style IPA “Raging Bitch.” What do these rulings mean for the Washington Redskins and other brands deemed “offensive”? Join us to celebrate these victories and explore the future of free speech with our experts. A reception featuring Flying Dog beer will follow.