Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/18pdf/18-302_e29g.pdf
Page Number: 9.0

Cite as:  588 U. S. ____ (2019) 

7 

Opinion of the Court 

veying  approval  of  drug  use  (YOU  CAN’T  SPELL 
HEALTHCARE  WITHOUT  THC  for  pain-relief  medica-
tion,  MARIJUANA  COLA  and  KO  KANE  for  beverages)
because  it  is  scandalous  to  “inappropriately  glamoriz[e]
drug  abuse.”    PTO,  Office  Action  of  Aug.  28,  2010,  Serial 
No.  85038867;  see  Office  Action  of  Dec.  24,  2009,  Serial 
No.  77833964;  Office  Action  of  Nov.  17,  2009,  Serial  No. 
77671304.  But  at  the  same  time,  the  PTO  registered
marks with such sayings as D.A.R.E. TO RESIST DRUGS 
AND VIOLENCE and SAY NO TO DRUGS—REALITY IS 
THE  BEST  TRIP  IN  LIFE.    See  PTO,  Reg.  No.  2975163 
(July  26,  2005);  Reg.  No.  2966019  (July  12,  2005).  Simi-
larly,  the  PTO  disapproved  registration  for  the  mark 
BONG  HITS  4  JESUS  because  it  “suggests  that  people
should  engage  in  an  illegal  activity  [in  connection  with]
worship”  and  because  “Christians  would  be  morally  out-
raged  by  a  statement  that  connects  Jesus  Christ  with 
illegal  drug  use.”  Office  Action  of  Mar.  15,  2008,  Serial 
No.  77305946.  And  the  PTO  refused  to  register  trade-
marks  associating  religious  references  with  products
(AGNUS DEI for safes and MADONNA for wine) because 
they would be “offensive to most individuals of the Chris-
tian  faith”  and  “shocking  to  the  sense  of  propriety.”    Ex 
parte  Summit  Brass  &  Bronze  Works,  59  USPQ  22,  23 
(Dec. Com. Pat. 1943); In re Riverbank Canning Co., 95 F. 
2d  327,  329  (CCPA  1938).    But  once  again,  the  PTO  ap-
proved  marks—PRAISE  THE  LORD  for  a  game  and 
JESUS  DIED  FOR  YOU  on  clothing—whose  message
suggested  religious  faith  rather  than  blasphemy  or  irrev-
erence.  See  Reg.  No.  5265121  (Aug.  15,  2017);  Reg.  No.
3187985 (Dec. 19, 2006).  Finally, the PTO rejected marks 
reflecting  support  for  al-Qaeda  (BABY  AL  QAEDA  and 
AL-QAEDA  on  t-shirts)  “because  the  bombing  of  civilians 
and other terrorist acts are shocking to the sense of decency 
and  call  out  for  condemnation.”  Office  Action  of  Nov.  22, 
2004,  Serial  No.  78444968;  see  Office  Action  of  Feb.  23,