Supreme Court will hear Jack Daniel's appeal over parody

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether a parody dog toy called “Bad Spaniels” is entitled to protection from trademark infringement and dilution-by-tarnishment claims by Jack Daniel’s Properties Inc.

A previous decision that said the dog toymaker was entitled to First Amendment protection because the dog toy was an expressive work, made it more difficult for Jack Daniel’s to win on the infringement claim and barred the company’s claim for dilution by tarnishment.