FAN 157.1 (First Amendment News) Music to their ears — The Slants win in SCOTUS: Commentaries, Podcasts & Interviews

Music is the best way we know how to drive social change: it overcomes social barriers in a way that mob-mentality and fear-based political rhetoric never can — Simon Tam

The Slants (credit: Anthony Pidgeon/Redferns, via Associated Press)

A major First Amendment victory — National ACLU

The far-reaching importance of this case cannot be overstated — National Law Journal

The opinion: Matal v. Tam (June 19, 2017) (Oral Argument Transcript)

Counsel for Respondent: John C. Connell

Coursel for Petitioner: Malcolm L. Stewart (Deputy Solicitor General)

Briefs Filed in Case: Parties & Amici

Video Interview: Extended Interview: The Slants’ Simon Tam (KOIN 6, June 19, 2017)

SCOTUSblog Symposium 

1. Irina Manta, The cacophony of trademarks is not government speech
2. Lisa Ramsey,  Increasing First Amendment scrutiny of trademark law after Matal  v. Tam
3. Christine Farley,  Free speech comes to trademark law
4. Ned Snow, The First Amendment silences trademark
5. Caleb Trotter, The Constitution prohibits government’s “happy-talk” requirement for trademark registration

FIRE: So to Speak Podcast 

• The Slants win at the U.S. Supreme Court! (Nico Perrino interviews Ron Collins &  Zach Greenberg followed by an earleir-recorded interview with the members of the Slants band)

Cato Podcast: The Michael Berry Show

• Josh Blackman discusses Matal v. Tam and free speech

Rolling Stone Magazine

• Kory Grow, Inside Asian-American Group the Slants’ Supreme Court Free-Speech Win

Balkinization

• Marty Lederman, Some preliminary thoughts on Matal v. Tam, Trademarks, and the First Amendment

Constitutional Law Prof Blog

• Ruthann Robson, SCOTUS Declares “Disparaging Trademarks” Provision Violates First Amendment

Volokh Conspiracy

• Eugene Volokh, Supreme Court unanimously reaffirms: There is no ‘hate speech’ exception to the First Amendment

Bloomberg View

• Stephen L. Carter, Offensive Speech Is Free Speech. If Only We’d Listen

The Federalist

• Ilya Shapiro, Supreme Court Refuses To Let Government Determine What Trademarks Are ‘Offensive’

Forbes

• Jeff Kobulnick, The Slants Win Big Supreme Court IP Battle

Slate

• Mark Joseph Stern, Does Partisan Gerrymandering Violate the First Amendment? (A pair of Supreme Court decisions about freedom of speech strengthen the plaintiffs’ argument in a blockbuster redistricting case.)

In A Crowded Theater

• Erica Goldberg, The Opinion in Matal v. Tam (Final Post in a Series)

This journey has always been much bigger than our band: it’s been about the rights of all marginalized communities to determine what’s best for ourselves. — Simon Tam