Two years ago the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the U.S. government may not reject “disparaging” trademarks. On Monday the Justices will consider whether to broaden First Amendment protection to trademarks that offend moral sensibilities. At issue in Iancu v. Brunetti is the 1946 Lanham Act’s prohibition on trademarks deemed “scandalous” and “immoral.” The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2014 denied a trademark for Erik Brunetti’s streetwear line FUCT—short for Friends U Can’t Trust—after concluding that the brand...

Source: Wall Street Journal April 14, 2019 19:52 UTC