October Term 2022 · Docket 22-148
Does parody of a trademark violate federal law?
Jack Daniel's claims a dog toy parodies its brand. VIP Products argues the First Amendment protects that speech.
Verified source milestones
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
- — An official Court opinion was verified.
The arguments, in order
This case may have been argued more than once. Each entry below uses that session's official transcript. Later arguments do not erase earlier ones.
Argument 1 ·
What happened at the argument
Ms. Blatt argued the dog toy copies Jack Daniel's trademark and trade dress.
Mr. Cooper argued that iconic brands are celebrities and people can mock them.
Mr. Guarnieri addressed hypotheticals regarding trademark infringement and consumer confusion.
Read the official transcript for this argument · Official argument details
Sources used for this argument breakdown
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 17-9 — Transcript, file page 11, lines 17-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 45-45 — Transcript, file page 12, lines 45-45
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 15-23 — Transcript, file page 14, lines 15-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 27-27 — Transcript, file page 14, lines 27-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 37-1 — Transcript, file page 14, lines 37-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 15, lines 9-11 — Transcript, file page 15, lines 9-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 11-21 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 11-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-23 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 23-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 43, lines 15-29 — Transcript, file page 43, lines 15-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 43-9 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 43-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 25-29 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 25-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 39-47 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 39-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 67, lines 19-27 — Transcript, file page 67, lines 19-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 67, lines 29-37 — Transcript, file page 67, lines 29-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 68, lines 33-39 — Transcript, file page 68, lines 33-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 68, lines 7-9 — Transcript, file page 68, lines 7-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 69, lines 25-27 — Transcript, file page 69, lines 25-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 69, lines 41-53 — Transcript, file page 69, lines 41-53
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 31-37 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 31-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 49-51 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 49-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 70, lines 13-35 — Transcript, file page 70, lines 13-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 23-25 — Transcript, file page 71, lines 23-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 31-33 — Transcript, file page 71, lines 31-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 51-53 — Transcript, file page 71, lines 51-53
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 7-15 — Transcript, file page 71, lines 7-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 72, lines 39-43 — Transcript, file page 72, lines 39-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 73, lines 7-9 — Transcript, file page 73, lines 7-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 76, lines 41-47 — Transcript, file page 76, lines 41-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 35-43 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 35-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 35-13 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 35-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 95, lines 27-25 — Transcript, file page 95, lines 27-25
A citizen's guide to the whole case
What this case is about
Jack Daniel's wants the court to uphold the lower court's finding of trademark infringement. VIP Products wants the court to protect its parody as free speech.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-23 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 23-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 43, lines 15-29 — Transcript, file page 43, lines 15-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 43-9 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 43-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 67, lines 19-27 — Transcript, file page 67, lines 19-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 95, lines 27-25 — Transcript, file page 95, lines 27-25
How the case got here
The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on March 22, 2023.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 11-21 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 11-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 76, lines 41-47 — Transcript, file page 76, lines 41-47
What each side wants
Jack Daniel's seeks a ruling that the dog toy infringes its trademark.
VIP Products seeks a ruling that the First Amendment protects its parody.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-23 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 23-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 43, lines 15-29 — Transcript, file page 43, lines 15-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 43-9 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 43-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 67, lines 19-27 — Transcript, file page 67, lines 19-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 95, lines 27-25 — Transcript, file page 95, lines 27-25
What each side says
Jack Daniel's argues that all trademarks have speech rights and infringement always implicates speech.
VIP Products argues that iconic brands are celebrities and people can make fun of them.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-23 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 23-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 43, lines 15-29 — Transcript, file page 43, lines 15-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 43-9 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 43-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 67, lines 19-27 — Transcript, file page 67, lines 19-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 95, lines 27-25 — Transcript, file page 95, lines 27-25
What the justices asked
Justice Thomas asked if a statement can fail the Rogers test yet not confuse consumers.
Justice Kagan stated that the Rogers test is unnecessary for this specific case.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 17-9 — Transcript, file page 11, lines 17-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 45-45 — Transcript, file page 12, lines 45-45
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 15-23 — Transcript, file page 14, lines 15-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 27-27 — Transcript, file page 14, lines 27-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 37-1 — Transcript, file page 14, lines 37-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 15, lines 9-11 — Transcript, file page 15, lines 9-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 25-29 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 25-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 39-47 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 39-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 67, lines 29-37 — Transcript, file page 67, lines 29-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 68, lines 33-39 — Transcript, file page 68, lines 33-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 68, lines 7-9 — Transcript, file page 68, lines 7-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 69, lines 25-27 — Transcript, file page 69, lines 25-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 69, lines 41-53 — Transcript, file page 69, lines 41-53
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 31-37 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 31-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 49-51 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 49-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 70, lines 13-35 — Transcript, file page 70, lines 13-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 23-25 — Transcript, file page 71, lines 23-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 31-33 — Transcript, file page 71, lines 31-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 51-53 — Transcript, file page 71, lines 51-53
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 7-15 — Transcript, file page 71, lines 7-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 72, lines 39-43 — Transcript, file page 72, lines 39-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 73, lines 7-9 — Transcript, file page 73, lines 7-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 35-43 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 35-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 35-13 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 35-13
Why it matters
This case defines the boundary between trademark protection and free speech. It determines how brands can respond to parody. It affects consumer confusion standards in commercial speech.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-23 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 23-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 43, lines 15-29 — Transcript, file page 43, lines 15-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 43-9 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 43-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 67, lines 19-27 — Transcript, file page 67, lines 19-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 95, lines 27-25 — Transcript, file page 95, lines 27-25
What happens next
This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 17-9 — Transcript, file page 11, lines 17-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 45-45 — Transcript, file page 12, lines 45-45
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 15-23 — Transcript, file page 14, lines 15-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 27-27 — Transcript, file page 14, lines 27-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 37-1 — Transcript, file page 14, lines 37-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 15, lines 9-11 — Transcript, file page 15, lines 9-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 11-21 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 11-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 25-29 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 25-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 39-47 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 39-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 67, lines 29-37 — Transcript, file page 67, lines 29-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 68, lines 33-39 — Transcript, file page 68, lines 33-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 68, lines 7-9 — Transcript, file page 68, lines 7-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 69, lines 25-27 — Transcript, file page 69, lines 25-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 69, lines 41-53 — Transcript, file page 69, lines 41-53
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 31-37 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 31-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 49-51 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 49-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 70, lines 13-35 — Transcript, file page 70, lines 13-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 23-25 — Transcript, file page 71, lines 23-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 31-33 — Transcript, file page 71, lines 31-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 51-53 — Transcript, file page 71, lines 51-53
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 7-15 — Transcript, file page 71, lines 7-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 72, lines 39-43 — Transcript, file page 72, lines 39-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 73, lines 7-9 — Transcript, file page 73, lines 7-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 76, lines 41-47 — Transcript, file page 76, lines 41-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 35-43 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 35-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 35-13 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 35-13
Official Court provenance
Official docket and case history · Official Supreme Court oral-argument detail page
Verified official opinions and orders
Title and summary sources
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-23 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 23-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 43, lines 15-29 — Transcript, file page 43, lines 15-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 43-9 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 43-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 67, lines 19-27 — Transcript, file page 67, lines 19-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 95, lines 27-25 — Transcript, file page 95, lines 27-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-23 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 23-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 43, lines 15-29 — Transcript, file page 43, lines 15-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 43-9 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 43-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 67, lines 19-27 — Transcript, file page 67, lines 19-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 95, lines 27-25 — Transcript, file page 95, lines 27-25
Revision history
- Revision 1 · Post Opinion ·
Correction: Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.
- Revision 2 · Post Opinion ·
Correction: Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.