「トランプのは小さ過ぎる」めぐり最高裁で口頭弁論

【ワシントンＡＦＰ＝時事】「トランプ（前米大統領）のは小さ過ぎる」とプリントされたＴシャツの商標登録をめぐり、連邦最高裁判所で１日、知的財産権と表現の自由の観点から口頭弁論が行われた。（写真はドナルド・トランプ前米大統領〈資料写真〉）
　この表現は、２０１６年大統領選の共和党指名争いの際にマルコ・ルビオ上院議員（フロリダ州選出）が対抗馬のドナルド・トランプ氏について「手が小さい」と発言したことがきっかけで生まれた。
　トランプ氏に「ちびマルコ」呼ばわりされていたことに反撃を試みたものだったが、トランプ氏は「手が小さいなら別のものも小さいだろう。私に関してはその問題はない」と、性的な連想を誘う表現で切り返した。
　カリフォルニア州の弁護士、スティーブ・エルスター氏は当時のルビオ氏の発言をもじって、「トランプのは小さ過ぎる」とのスローガンの商標登録を特許商標庁に申請した。しかし、スローガンの使用に当たってトランプ氏の同意書を得ていないとして、受理されなかった。
　これについて連邦高裁は、憲法修正第１条にうたわれている言論の自由を侵害すると判断。連邦政府はそれに対し、特許商標庁の決定はスローガンの使用を禁じるものではなく、知財関連法に準拠していない点が問題だとし、最高裁に上訴していた。
　この日の口頭弁論では、政府側の代理人が「エルスター氏はスローガンを商標登録できなくても、それをプリントしたＴシャツを販売することは可能だ」と指摘。「トランプ」という表現の使用で独占権を取得することとは別問題との意見を述べた。
　最高裁はこの件について、来年６月末までに判断を示す見通し。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/11/02-15:57）

The US Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday concerning a man who wanted to print T-shirts emblazoned with the suggestive slogan Trump too small, in a case that weighs both trademark rights and freedom of expression.
Former president Donald Trump, who is not involved in the case, is otherwise tied up in a number of legal disputes, including a civil trial underway this week in New York for fraudulently inflating the value of his business empire.
In the case heard before the Supreme Court, California lawyer Steve Elster tried to trademark the sexually suggestive phrase and print it on T-shirts. But his bid to register the slogan was rejected by the US Patent and Trademark Office because he did not have Trump's written consent to use his name.
A federal court of appeals disagreed, ruling that this decision was a violation of Elster's free speech rights under the First Amendment.
The federal government asked the Supreme Court to intervene, arguing that a refusal to trademark the slogan did not prohibit its use, but only meant it wasn't protected under intellectual property law.
Even if Mr Elster can't register the mark 'Trump too small' he can sell shirts with that slogan, government representative Malcolm Stewart argued before the Supreme Court's nine justices.
The question is whether he can assert an exclusive right to use Donald Trump's name and prevent his competitors from doing so, Stewart added.
The justices appeared ready to side with the government Wednesday.
The absence of a trademark doesn't stop you from selling it, doesn't stop you from selling anywhere, as much as you want, progressive Justice Sonia Sotomayor said.
Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch emphasized that a trademark is a monopoly, adding that some things you're just not allowed to monopolize.
The phrase Trump too small arose from the 2016 Republican presidential primaries during which Senator Marco Rubio of Florida said Trump had small hands.
Trump, who frequently referred to Rubio during the campaign as Little Marco, responded by saying If they're small, something else must be small. I guarantee you there is no problem.
Elster's attorney, in a brief, said the Trump too small phrase is political commentary and while it does involve a double entendre it is meant to convey his client's view of the smallness of Donald Trump's overall approach to governing as president of the United States.
A Supreme Court ruling on the case is expected by the end of June.