"Russian warship, go f*** yourself" can’t be trademarked - EU court

The court's decision, made on November 13, explains that Ukraine's State Border Guard Service tried to register the phrase as a trademark in 2022 for various products, including printed materials, umbrellas, clothing, and keychains. The Border Guard Service argued that the phrase, spoken by Ukrainian soldier on Zmiinyi Island on February 24, 2022, became a symbol of Ukraine's resistance against Russian aggression.

However, on December 1, 2023, EUIPO rejected the registration, and the European Court upheld the decision. The court explained that the phrase cannot serve as a trademark because it is seen more as a political slogan than an indicator of the origin of goods or services.

 In its ruling, the EU court stated that the phrase is a political slogan devoid of any distinctive character for the goods and services.

• The “Russian warship, go f**k yourself” NFT stamp created by Ukrposhta shows a Ukrainian border guard making an obscene gesture towards the Russian cruiser Moskva. The phrase refers to a famous moment in 2022 when Ukrainian border guards on Zmiinyi Island refused to surrender to a Russian warship. When the Russian ship demanded their surrender, one of the guards responded with: “Russian warship, go f**k yourself.”