San Francisco Arts & Athletics, Inc. v. United States Olympic Committee
United States Supreme Court
483 U.S. 522 (1987)
- Written by Josh Lee, JD
Facts
An act of Congress granted the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) (plaintiff), a private organization, the exclusive right to use the term “Olympic.” San Francisco Arts & Athletics, Inc. (SFAA) (defendant), promoted an event as the Gay Olympic Games. The USOC sued SFAA, seeking an injunction to prohibit the use of the term “Olympic” by SFAA. SFAA then asserted that the USOC was a government actor and was thus in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause by selectively choosing who could use the term “Olympic.” The Federal District Court for the Northern District of California ruled in favor of the USOC and enjoined SFAA’s use of the term. The court of appeals affirmed, and the United States Supreme Court granted certiorari.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Powell, J.)
Dissent (Brennan, J.)
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