PRESS & MEDIA

Recognized Voice on Free Speech & IP Law

Simon Tam is an internationally recognized voice on free speech, the First Amendment, and intellectual property law. As the founder of The Slants and the central figure in the landmark Supreme Court case Matal v. Tam, his work has been featured in thousands of media outlets across more than 150 countries.

His story has been covered by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone, NPR, BBC, TIME, and The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, and documented in over 300 published books and academic journals. His memoir, Slanted: How an Asian American Troublemaker Took on the Supreme Court, was named one of the Best Books on the Constitution of All Time by BookAuthority.

Simon Tam delivering a keynote presentation at Northeastern University School of Law

Selected Writing

Simon writes regularly on free speech, intellectual property, and civic life. Selected pieces:

Free Speech & the First Amendment

“Texas Tech's Vague Restrictions Show You Don't Have To Ban Speech To Silence It” — Reason (2026): If someone is uncertain enough about meaning, they will censor themselves first.
"San Francisco Giants' Pride Caps Test the Principles of Free Speech" — Cincinnati Enquirer (2026): The controversies in pro sports is really about whether Americans defend free expression consistently, or only when they agree with the message.
"The Power of Repurposing a Slur" — The New York Times (2017) (reprinted in The Bill of Rights: A User's Guide, foreword by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg): Why denying marginalized communities the legal right to reappropriate slurs strips away a vital tool of self-determination and political activism.
“Poison wrapped in senator's crusade against Ohio universities, colleges”— Columbus Dispatch (2023): An analysis of why sweeping state mandates like Ohio’s Senate Bill 83/SB1 fail to address the core cultural roots of division on college campuses.
“At Supreme Court, the Slants Are 'Fighting for More Than a Band Name'“ — NBC News (2017): Simon Tam explains why the Patent and Trademark Office is wrong to deny the band's application to register its name as a federal trademark

Intellectual Property Law

“First Amendment, Trademarks, and" The Slants": Our Journey to the Supreme Court” — Buffalo Intellectual Property Law Journal (2018)
“What The Slants’ First Amendment Case at the Supreme Court Actually Won” — The Oxford Handbook of Music Law & Policy (2020)

Identity, Culture & Civic Life

“Trademark Offense” — Oregon Humanities (2015)
“Day of Judgement” — Oregon Humanities (2018)

Forthcoming

Managing IP — tenth-anniversary analysis of Matal v. Tam (2027)
How Matal v. Tam Became a First Amendment Case — Free Speech Journal (forthcoming)

For Simon's ongoing writing, visit the blog.

Simon Tam being interviewed by Nina Totenburg in front of the Supreme Court of the United States in 2017, after oral arguments.

Simon Tam being interviewed for ReasonTV on his Supreme Court case.

Selected Interviews

Broadcast & Podcast

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (2017) — national broadcast profile following the SCOTUS decision. [Coverage →]
CBS This Morning (2017) — national broadcast coverage of the Supreme Court case. [Watch →]
NBC Nightly News (2017) — national broadcast coverage of the decision. [Watch →]
ABA Journal, Modern Law Library (2019) — podcast on the case and what it revealed about the legal profession. [Listen →]
NPR, Planet Money (2017) — on the economics and law of the trademark fight. [Listen →]
National Constitution Center (2019)— podcast on Matal v. Tam and the First Amendment. [Listen →]

Print & Digital

The Washington Post (2019) — on the memoir and the journey to the Supreme Court. [Read →]
Rolling Stone (2017) — featured profile on Supreme Court win. [Read →]
South China Morning Post — on how a trademark fight became a lifelong free-speech mission. [Read →]
TIME Magazine (2013) — early feature on the trademark case. [Read →]

Simon’s work has received thousands of media features worldwide, including:

“It’s a win for all marginalized groups…The First Amendment protects speech even that we disagree with.”

— The New York Times feature & interview

Four young men in suits standing together, posing for a photo, in a modern indoor setting.

“I see it as more of a social justice, ethical case...What are the impacts on marginalized communities?”

— Rolling Stone magazine: Inside Asian-American Group The Slants’ Supreme Court Free-Speech Win

Screenshot of a Rolling Stone article webpage titled "Inside Asian-American Group the Slants' Supreme Court Free-Speech Win" with a photo of four Asian-American men dressed in suits and overcoats, standing outdoors at night with city lights in the background.

Screen Shot 2020-05-23 at 10.02.35 PM.png — "If you show up on a regular basis and you work hard at it, over time you'll start seeing positive changes being made."

— NBC News review of *Slanted: How an Asian American Troublemaker Took on the Supreme Court*

Screen Shot 2020-05-23 at 10.06.28 PM.png — “What could have been a relatively obscure rock band that dissolved, like so many others, into humdrum middle age, has become the vehicle for a lifelong mission.”

— South China Morning Post profile

Screen Shot 2020-05-23 at 10.14.48 PM.png — “
But even as the case grabbed headlines and led to Tam rubbing elbows with President Obama and Killer Mike, The Slants didn't stop writing recording, and touring.”

— Pittsburgh City Paper feature and book review

PRESS & MEDIA

Recognized Voice on Free Speech & IP Law

Selected Writing

Selected Interviews

“It’s a win for all marginalized groups…The First Amendment protects speech even that we disagree with.”

“I see it as more of a social justice, ethical case...What are the impacts on marginalized communities?”

"If you show up on a regular basis and you work hard at it, over time you'll start seeing positive changes being made."

“What could have been a relatively obscure rock band that dis­solved, like so many others, into humdrum middle age, has become the vehicle for a lifelong mission.”

“

But even as the case grabbed headlines and led to Tam rubbing elbows with President Obama and Killer Mike, The Slants didn't stop writing recording, and touring.”

“What could have been a relatively obscure rock band that dissolved, like so many others, into humdrum middle age, has become the vehicle for a lifelong mission.”