Supreme Court Ruling Allows Registration of “Immoral” or “Scandalous” Words

In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court struck down a ban on registering words or symbols that are "immoral" or "scandalous." The case was brought by designer Eric Brunetti who created a clothing line in 1990 that prominently displayed the “FUCT” logo. Brunetti had been trying to obtain approval for a trademark since 2011, but the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has consistently denied his application. The agency contends that “FUCT” violates federal law that prohibits words that are “shocking” or “offensive” on trademarked material.

Supreme Court Affirms Hate Speech Protected

First Amendment expert, Eugene Volokh writes that in Matal v. Tam, also known as the “Slants” case, the “justices made clear that speech that some view as racially offensive is […]