Simon Tam

Tam has continued to remain active in First Amendment activism after the conclusion of his Supreme Court case. In 2019, he joined prominent hip-hop artists Killer Mike, Chance the Rapper, Meek Mill, and 21 Savage in filing an amicus brief in Jamal Knox v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He also filed a brief at the Supreme Court on behalf of Erik Brunetti in Iancu v. Brunetti, often known as the sister case to Matal v. Tam, which struck down the "scandalous" and "immoral" provisions of the Lanham Act. Additionally, he often speaks at legal and community events around the world on Matal v. Tam. In addition, he leads Continuing Learning Education (CLE) credit courses for attorneys and teaches on Matal v. Tam. He was honored with the First Amendment Award from the Hugh M. Hefner Foundation, the Mark T. Banner Award from the American Bar Association, and Milestone Case of the Year from Managing IP Magazine for his activism.

In 2019, Tam published his memoir, Slanted: How an Asian American Troublemaker Took on the Supreme Court. The memoir covers multiple aspects of his life as an artist-activist, including growing up as a child of immigrant restaurant owners, falling in love with punk rock, and the journey to the U.S Supreme Court. It won the silver award for Best autobiography/Memoir from the Independent Publisher Book Awards.

Tam hosts the podcast show Music Business Hacks. In addition, he is a regular contributor for Billboard, Music Think Tank, ASCAP, and Huffington Post. In 2018, he established The Slants Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships and mentoring Asian American artists looking to incorporate community activism into their craft. Tam also serves on the board of directors for numerous organizations.

As a speaker, Tam often delivers keynotes and workshops for Fortune 500 companies as well as higher education organizations, with a focus on entrepreneurship, marketing, technology, and diversity and inclusion. He has made 13 TEDx appearances as a speaker and performer. In 2016, Tam joined President Barack Obama, George Takei, Jeremy Lin, and other celebrities in the #ActToChange campaign to fight bullying.

In 2015, the court ruled in a 9-to-3 vote that the law used by the USPTO violated the First Amendment. The USPTO appealed the decision to the Supreme Court. In 2017, the Supreme Court of the United States agreed and ruled unanimously in Tam's favor in Matal v. Tam.

In 2015, Tam's essay, Trademark Offense was published in Oregon Humanities magazine. It was later listed as an honorable mention in America's Best Essays 2016.

In late 2011, Tam began writing on racism and the Asian American experience for sites like CHANGELAB's Race Files and YOMYOMF. In 2012, his essay, "A Slanted View," was published in Where Are You From? An Anthology of Asian American Writing.[1] Shortly after, he published numerous op-ed pieces on his trademark case, Matal v. Tam, for newspapers such as the New York Times and The Oregonian. He also began writing short pieces for feminist publication Bitch Media.

In 2010, Tam started a music industry blog on his music company's website, Last Stop Booking (formerly Populuxe Entertainment). Soon after, became a frequent contributor for Music Think Tank, ASCAP, and had a regular column on the Huffington Post. Eventually, he published two books on the music industry, How to Get Sponsorships and Endorsements and Music Business Hacks.

In late 2009, Tam's attorney recommended that he file an application to register the band's trademark. This eventually became an extensive legal battle when the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) ruled that the band's name was disparaging to persons of Asian descent. The USPTO relied on UrbanDictionary.com to support its claim. Initially, Tam provided extensive evidence to appeal the USPTO decision, including testimonies from leading dictionary experts, national surveys, and letters from Asian American community leaders, but the Trademark Office remained steadfast in their refusal. In 2011, Tam filed a second application that focused on procedural and evidentiary issues in its appeal. The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit initially ruled against him but issued a Motion to vacate Sua sponte (on its own accord). They invited Tam to be arguing the constitutional merits of the law being used against him.

In 2006, Tam launched The Slants. He says the band's name was chosen "as a way of seizing control of a racial slur, turning it on its head and draining its venom. It was also a respectful nod to Asian-Americans who had been using the epithet for decades.".

In 2004, Tam left The Stivs to form an all-Asian American members rock band. This eventually became The Slants. During most of his time in Portland, Tam worked for nonprofit organizations as a marketing director and served on the board of numerous social justice organizations. He also finished his college education and graduated with a Master in Business Administration from Marylhurst University in 2013, receiving the Distinguished Alum Award, and began publishing his writing. During this time, he co-founded the Oregon Center for Human Rights, partnered with his sister to open a restaurant, and established several other businesses.

Simon Tam (born March 30, 1981) is an American author, musician, activist, and entrepreneur. He is best known as the bassist and founder of the Asian American dance-rock band, The Slants, who won their case against the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office at the United States Supreme Court. The case, Matal v. Tam, was a landmark legal battle that clarified First Amendment rights in trademark law. The court ruled unanimously in Tam's favor, holding that trademark registrations may not be rejected under the Disparagement Clause of the Lanham Act (1946) since that would be considered viewpoint discrimination; this includes, as in Tam's case, trademarks using such language filed by members of minority groups who wish to reclaim slurs that would have been previously denied.