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Supreme Court Dances Around The F-Word With Real Potential Financial Consequences
Dirty words make it to the U.S. Supreme Court only occasionally. One of those occasions came Monday, in a case involving a clothing line named "FUCT." The issue is whether the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office acted unconstitutionally when it refused to grant trademark protection to the brand name. And, for the justices, the immediate problem was how to discuss the the F-word without actually saying it.
The "FUCT" clothing line, created by designer Eric Brunetti, is mainly hoodies, loose pants, shorts and T-shirts, all with the brand name prominently displayed.
[...] Brunetti's case got a boost two years ago when the Supreme Court ruled that an Asian-American band calling itself "The Slants" could not be denied trademark protection. The trademark office had turned the band down, because it deemed the name racially "disparaging," but the court said the denial amounted to unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination.
Dealing with the brand name "FUCT" proved a bit more daunting in the Supreme Court chamber Monday. Deputy Solicitor General Malcolm Stewart referred to the brand name as a "profane past participle form of a well-known word of profanity and perhaps the paradigmatic word of profanity in our language."
Also at Reuters.
Previously: Two Unanimous SCOTUS Victories for Free Speech
(Score: 5, Funny) by NotSanguine on Tuesday April 16 2019, @08:53PM (2 children)
Five years or so ago, while I was at the airport in Norfolk, VA. checking in for my flight home, I saw a guy wearing a sweatshirt that said "STFU."
So I went up to him and asked, completely deadpan, "What school is that?" The guy looked a little perturbed, so (as he was a good four or five inches taller than I was and outweighed me) I chuckled and said I was just joking.
We shared a laugh and had a brief conversation while we were on the line together.
I don't really see why this should be a big deal, as FUCT could be an acronym:
Fervently Unpacking Chocolate Tamales
Festive Undulation by College Teachers
Freaky Uplift in California Territories
Fabulous Universal Chess Tournament
Free Underwater Camping Tents
Financial Underwriters Coordination Test
Faith Unwavering, Christian Truth
The possibilities are endless.
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 17 2019, @12:59AM (1 child)
1) Freedom Under Conservative Terrorists.
2) Get 60% of the US wearing FUCT underpants
3) PROFIT!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 17 2019, @05:21AM
>> Freedom Under Conservative Terrorists
Unfortunately, there is a distinct lack of freedom for those living under the oppression of conservative terrorists.
The common folk who were forced to live under the "caliphate" of ISIS are one obvious example.