The Volokh Conspiracy

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Volokh Conspiracy

Scandalous! "Trademarks the government doesn't want you to see"

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An interesting and amusing guest-post on the Strong Language blog, from trademark law treatise author Anne Gilson LaLonde:

Under the federal trademark statute, trademarks that are found to be "scandalous" can't be registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. While this doesn't stop trademark owners from using these marks, they can't rely on various legal advantages that come with federal registration.

The examples—many of them graphical—are pretty funny.