A violation of the First Amendment: Supreme Court issues long-awaited decision on disparagement clause

The Supreme Court has handed down its long-awaited ruling in Matal v Tam, holding that the disparagement clause of the Lanham Act violates the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment. In a unanimous 8-0 opinion, the court states that “the proudest boast of our free speech jurisprudence is that we protect the freedom to express ‘the thought that we hate’”. In response, the USPTO has confirmed to World Trademark Review that it plans to "issue further guidance" on how it will affect the examination of applications.