๐๏ธ๐ “Trump Too Small” Tee-Time Turns Supreme ๐๐ฅ
TL;DR: California lawyer, Steve Elster, has been fighting to get the phrase “Trump too small” trademarked for use on t-shirts since 2018. The catch is federal law won’t allow trademarks using someone’s name without their written consent. Now, the Supreme Court has decided to weigh in on the issue, turning a t-shirt slogan into a debate on the First Amendment. ๐๐ฅ
So, what’s the big tee-ssue? ๐ค
Since 2018, Steve Elster has been trying to get a green light to print the phrase โTrump too smallโ on t-shirts. The objective? Pure satire. The problem? Federal rules say no to trademarks that use a personโs name without their written go-ahead.
Elster’s application got the old heave-ho, but he didn’t take that lying down. Instead, this lawyer took it to the courts, making it a First Amendment issue. Because, let’s be real, what’s more American than some good old fashioned satire? ๐ญ๐บ๐ธ
Last year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit unanimously said Elster’s trademark application was a matter of the First Amendment, since it’s meant to roast a government official. They ruled that stopping Elster from registering the trademark was against the Constitution.
But just when you thought the case was sewn up tighter than a ‘Made in the USA’ tag, the Supreme Court decided to take a closer look. The highest court in the land is set to decide whether a lawyer can indeed register the phrase โTrump too smallโ as a federal trademark.
Now, the drama of the courtroom collides with the world of t-shirt slogans, turning a typical trademark matter into a potential precedent-setting First Amendment face-off. ๐ค๐๏ธ๐ค
And let’s not forget the Trump-sized elephant in the room. What does the former president think of all this? And will he give written consent to let his name be used? We can’t say for sure, but something tells us this story is far from over. ๐๐ฟ
In the meantime, the question is, where does one’s right to poke fun at a public figure end, and where does a person’s right to control the use of their name begin? The Supreme Court is set to grapple with this, and the outcome could ripple out far beyond the realms of novelty t-shirts.
So, can one man’s quest to make satirical t-shirts become a landmark case in American law? Could this case change how we view the First Amendment and trademarks?
And most importantly, will we ever get to see those “Trump too small” shirts? ๐คทโโ๏ธ๐๐ฎ
Disclaimer: This article is not providing legal advice or endorsing any products. It is merely reporting on the events of a pending legal case.
We want to know what you think: Should public figures have a say in how their name is used in satirical merch, or should the First Amendment protect our right to laugh? ๐ค๐ญ๐ฃ๏ธ Let’s get the conversation started!