This mark would be perceived by a substantial segment of the public as the equivalent of the profane past participle form of a well-known word of profanity and perhaps the paradigmatic word of profanity in our language.
— Deputy Solicitor General Malcolm Stewart, during oral arguments before the Supreme Court, as he eloquently attempted to sidestep and describe “FUCT,” the name of the fashion brand at issue in the trademark case before the high court. The Lanham Act bans registration of “immoral … or scandalous matter,” and designer Erik Brunetti claims this unconstitutionally infringes upon his right to free speech.

Paying for Law School in 2025: A Straight-Talk Playbook
Juno has consistently secured the best private loan deals for students at the Top MBA programs since 2018—now they’re bringing that same offer to law students, at no cost. Students can check their personalized offers at juno.us/atl This article is for general information only and is not personal financial advice.
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.