US Supreme Court hears arguments in case that involves a form of the f-word.
Patrick T. Fallon / ReutersGet breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.WASHINGTON — A bare majority of the U.S. Supreme Court seemed prepared Monday to allow a trademark for a California clothing brand that uses a form of the f-word. But the justices didn't appear very happy about the prospect.
Government attorneys concluded that Brunetti's brand name was phonetically equivalent to the past tense of what a Justice Department lawyer called"the paradigmatic profane word in our culture." As a result of that earlier decision, Justice Department lawyer Malcolm Stewart told the justices that the government would now likely narrow its application so that only terms that are obscene or shocking would be barred.
Stewart also said the law does not restrict speech, because Brunetti can call his clothing whatever he wants. He just can't get a trademark."The law isn't a limitation on speech," Stewart said."It's a limitation on a government benefit."
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