Dorsey & Whitney Seminar Replay: Simon Tam & The Slants

The Slants from L to R: Joe Jiang, Ken Shima, Simon Tam, & Tyler Chen.
On January 28, 2016, Dorsey & Whitney’s Seattle office hosted a CLE panel discussion regarding In Re Simon Shiao Tam, the Federal Circuit decision holding that the “disparaging” trademark prohibition in Section 2(a) of the Lanham Act violated the First Amendment. The panel featured Simon Tam, the bassist and founder of the rock band The Slants, who successfully challenged the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s refusal to register the band’s name. The panel also featured Professor Robert Chang of the Seattle University School of Law Korematsu Center, Mat dos Santos of the ACLU of Oregon, Charlene Krogh, a partner in the Copyright, Trademark, and Brand Management Practice Group in Dorsey’s Denver office, and Mike Keyes, an IP litigation partner in Dorsey’s Seattle office, who moderated the discussion.
After a lively and spirited debate, the CLE attendees were treated to a musical performance by Simon Tam & The Slants. TheTMCA.com is pleased to offer this seminar replay compliments of Joe Jiang of The Slants who did the recording. The recording omits the preliminary introductions and begins with a short (2 minute) video about Mr. Tam and his band. We hope you enjoy the show!