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After a failed attempt at a mediation, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sued the influential podcast “Mormon Stories,” known for its criticism of the faith and its leaders.
In their complaint, church attorneys alleged trademark infringement.
They argued that the show’s use of the term “Mormon,” combined with church-trademarked visuals as well as copyright images, could lead some listeners to believe the podcast is affiliated with the global faith of 17.8 million members.
Host and founder John Dehlin, excommunicated in 2015, changed his branding visuals to draw a starker contrast from those of the church but drew the line at scrapping the “Mormon” moniker, which he has used for more than 20 years.
His answer to the lawsuit maintained that the term “belongs to the public — including the members of the over 400 different Mormon sects currently existing nationwide that trace their heritage back to the founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith.”
On this week’s show, Cara Gagliano, senior attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation focused on trademark, copyright and free speech issues, and Latter-day Saint historian and writer Kristine Haglund discuss case, along with the legal, cultural and historical relevance of the term “Mormon.” (Gagliano’s Electronic Frontier Foundation has filed an amicus brief supporting Dehlin’s “Mormon Stories” and asking that the lawsuit be dismissed.)
