Attorneys Predict Outcome of Washington Redskins' Trademark Spat

In Matal v. Tam, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that banning disparaging trademarks is unconstitutional and violates the First Amendment of freedom of speech. The result of this case provides further guidance for Pro-Football Inc. v. Blackhorse, a case where the Washington Redskins football team is seeking protection of the trademarks covering the team's name. Westlaw Journal Intellectual Property contacted Finnegan attorney Mark Sommers for his predictions on the outcome of the Redskins trademark dispute as a result of the Matal v. Tam decision.

Sommers said, "The new arbiter over all things disparaging is the court of public opinion, where merchants seeking to exploit the source-identifying function of disparaging words must balance such use against the inherent potential and risk of commercial alienation, blowback and public outrage. The "Redskins" mark will again appear on federal register."