No. 18-302October Term 2018Decided Jun 24, 2019
Iancu v. Brunetti
This case asked whether the federal government could refuse to register trademarks it considered “immoral” or “scandalous,” after the Patent and Trademark Office denied Erik Brunetti’s application to register the mark FUCT.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Jun 24, 2019
- What it's about
This case asked whether the federal government could refuse to register trademarks it considered “immoral” or “scandalous,” after the Patent and Trademark Office denied Erik Brunetti’s application to register the mark FUCT. The Supreme Court held that this part of the Lanham Act violates the First Amendment because it discriminates based on viewpoint.
Question presented
Whether Section 1052(a)'s prohibition on the federal registration of "immoral" or "scandalous" marks is facially invalid under the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment.
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit / Decision released Jun 24, 2019
- Area
First Amendment
Timing
Decided June 24, 2019
The Court released its decision on June 24, 2019 without hearing oral argument.
Related cases
Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Methodology