Filthy Language As Trademark

Shoppers in Germany might feel a little embarrassed about asking for "Ficken" schnapps by name - the drink is named after the German word for the English F-word, i.e. the word of filthy language. But the manufacturer can take solace in the fact that the brand name is now legally protected. Now Germany’s Federal Patent Court ruled that the word "ficken" can be registered as a trademark.

The German liquor manufacturer EFAG Trade Mark Company had taken the case to the country’s highest patent court after its attempts to get the name of "Ficken" schnapps registered with the German Patent and Trademark Office had failed. The patent office had steadfastly refused to register the naughty brandname as a trademark, arguing that it was socially offensive to sell goods of that name.