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Page Number: 25

8 

IANCU v. BRUNETTI 

Opinion of BREYER, J. 

have an interest in protecting the sensibilities of children 
by  barring  the  registration  of  such  words.   See  Denver 
Area  Ed.  Telecommunications  Consortium,  Inc.  v.  FCC, 
518  U. S.  727,  743  (1996)  (plurality  opinion)  (noting  the 
Government’s interest in “protec[ting] children from expo-
sure to patently offensive sex-related material”); Ginsberg 
v.  New  York,  390  U. S.  629,  640  (1968)  (noting  the  gov-
ernment’s “interest in the well-being of its youth”). 

The  upshot  of  this  analysis  is  that  the  narrowing  con-
struction  articulated  by  JUSTICE  SOTOMAYOR  risks  some 
harm  to  First  Amendment  interests,  but  not  very  much. 
And  applying  that  interpretation  seems  a  reasonable 
way—perhaps  the  only  way—to  further  legitimate  gov-
ernment  interests.  Of  course,  there  is  a  risk  that  the 
statute  might  be  applied  in  a  manner  that  stretches  it
beyond the few vulgar words that are encompassed by the
narrow  interpretation  JUSTICE  SOTOMAYOR  sets  forth. 
That risk, however, could be mitigated by internal agency
review to ensure that agency officials do not stray beyond
their mandate.  In any event, I do not believe that this risk 
alone warrants the facial invalidation of this statute. 

I  would  conclude  that  the  prohibition  on  registering 
“scandalous”  marks  does  not  “wor[k]  harm  to  First 
Amendment  interests  that  is  disproportionate  in  light  of
the relevant regulatory objectives.”  Reed, 576 U. S., at ___ 
(opinion  of  BREYER, J.)  (slip  op.,  at  4).  I  would  therefore 
uphold  this  part  of  the  statute.    I  agree  with  the  Court,
however,  that  the  bar  on  registering  “immoral”  marks
Because  JUSTICE 
violates  the  First  Amendment. 
SOTOMAYOR  reaches  the  same  conclusions,  using  roughly 
similar  reasoning,  I  join  her  opinion  insofar  as  it  is  con-
sistent with the views set forth here.