Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/18pdf/18-302_e29g.pdf
Page Number: 40

Cite as:  588 U. S. ____ (2019) 

15 

Opinion of SOTOMAYOR, J. 

lary  benefits  on  trademark-holders  who  meet  Congress’ 
specifications,  including  for  example,  additional  protec-
tions against infringers.  See ante, at 2; Tam, 582 U. S., at 
___  (slip  op.,  at  5).  Registering  a  mark  in  the  Govern-
ment’s  searchable  register  puts  the  world  on  notice 
(whether  actual  or  constructive)  that  a  party  is  asserting
ownership of that mark.9  Registration, in short, is a help-
ful system, but it is one that the Government is under no 
obligation  to  establish  and  that  is  collateral  to  the  exist-
ence  and  use  of  trademarks  themselves.    There  is  no  evi-
dence that speech or commerce would be endangered if the 
Government were not to provide it at all.

When  the  Court  has  talked  about  governmental  initia-
tives  like  this  one  before,  it  has  usually  used  one  of  two 
general  labels.  In  several  cases,  the  Court  has  treated 
such  initiatives  as  a  limited  public  (or  nonpublic)  forum.
See,  e.g.,  Christian  Legal  Soc.  Chapter  of  Univ.  of  Cal., 
Hastings  College  of  Law  v.  Martinez,  561  U. S.  661,  669– 
670,  682  (2010)  (“ ‘Registered  Student  Organization’ ” 
program  providing  various  financial  and  nonfinancial
benefits  to  recognized  law-school  student  groups);  Rosen-
berger, 515 U. S., at 823–824, 829–830 (“Student Activities
Fund” for registered campus student groups); Cornelius v. 
NAACP  Legal  Defense  &  Ed.  Fund,  Inc.,  473  U. S.  788, 
790–791,  799–801,  806  (1985)  (“Combined  Federal  Cam-
paign”  literature  enabling  approved  charitable  organiza-
tions to solicit donations from federal employees).  In other 
situations,  the  Court  has  discussed  similar  initiatives  as 
government  programs  or  subsidies.    See,  e.g.,  Legal  Ser-
vices  Corporation  v.  Velazquez,  531  U. S.  533,  536,  543– 
544  (2001)  (government  program  distributing  funds  to 
legal-services  organizations);  National  Endowment  for 

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9 See  15  U. S. C.  §1072;  U. S.  Patent  &  Trademark  Office,  Search 
Trademark  Database,  https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks-application-
process/search-trademark-database (as last visited June 20, 2019).