Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The EU’s General Court has rejected Ukraine’s border guard force’s attempt to trademark the wartime slogan “Russian warship, go f*** yourself” considering it a political slogan.
The European Union General Court delivered a verdict averting Ukraine’s border guard from trademarking the famous wartime term “Russian warship, go f*** yourself” labelling it a political slogan rather than a commercial one.
How did the snake island phrase become a symbol of resistance?
This phrase developed during the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian defences on Snake Island, upon being instructed to surrender by the Russian Black Sea Fleet flagship Moskva, notoriously replied with a defiant retort, which quickly evolved into a national symbol of resistance. Despite its widespread usage on merchandise and as a morale advocate, the court reasoned that a trademark must demonstrate the origin of goods or services rather than convey a political message.
The judge’s ruling supports a decision by the EU Intellectual Property Office, which is responsible for documenting EU-wide trademarks. It’s one of a broad range of intellectual property rulings offered by the EU court – including one, also issued today, which declined to allow a trademark for the famous blue-and-yellow oval stickers placed on Chiquita bananas, which judges expressed were too generic to merit legal protection.
