Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Supreme Court to hear trademark dispute case over Jack Daniel's whiskey and poop-themed dog toy

Supreme Court to hear trademark dispute case over Jack Daniel's whiskey and poop-themed dog toy

The whiskey maker says the toy infringes on its trademark by mimicking its bottle design. An appeals court said it's protected by the First Amendment.
A trademark case set to be argued before the Supreme Court this week centers around a dog toy modeled after a Jack Daniel's bottle that the whiskey company claims is harmful to its brand by associating its label and design with dog poop.

The company is seeking to overturn a lower court ruling that determined the "Bad Spaniels" toy from VIP Products is protected by the First Amendment and intended as a joke not meant to harm Jack Daniel's.

The toy trades in Jack Daniel's iconic "Old No. 7 Brand Tennessee Sour Mash Whiskey" label for a dog-themed design that advertises "The Old No. 2 On Your Tennessee Carpet" from the "Bad Spaniels" brand. While Jack Daniel's bottles say the whiskey is 40% alcohol by volume, the toy bottle states that it is "43% poo by vol." and "100% smelly".

"To be sure, everyone likes a good joke," lawyers for Jack Daniel's wrote in a court filing. "But VIP's profit-motivated 'joke' confuses consumers by taking advantage of Jack Daniel's hard-earned goodwill."

Jack Daniel's and other companies like Nike and Campbell Soup filed briefs in support of the whiskey maker, arguing that allowing the product to stand as artistic expression will leave them vulnerable to other parodies that could harm their brands.

VIP's lawyers have argued that ruling in favor of Jack Daniel's will create precedent that would make it easier for trademark holders to limit the protected free speech of others, according to Reuters.

In court filings, Jack Daniel's lawyers say a district court ruled that the toy violated the Lanham Act, a law that protects trademark holders if another product is believed to cause confusion among consumers about its origin and whether it's associated with the known trademark.

But on appeal, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the clearly humorous product was protected by the First Amendment.

For works of artistic expression, it must be proven that use of the trademark is irrelevant to the work, and that the creator is intentionally misleading consumers into believing the trademark holder is involved. Since that could not be proven in the case of the dog toy, the Ninth Circuit court ruled that it was protected by the First Amendment.

"The Bad Spaniels dog toy, although surely not the equivalent of the Mona Lisa, is an expressive work," Judge Andrew Hurwitz wrote in the ruling.

Arguments on the case are set to be heard by the Supreme Court Wednesday, and a decision is expected later this year.

Jack Daniel's did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
×