The US Supreme Court rejected the request of a Californian to trademark the provocative phrase &bdquo "Trump is too small," the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
Judges upheld the government's decision to deny a trademark to Steve Elster, a Californian who wants the right to exclusive use of the phrase on T-shirts and possibly other merchandise. It is one of several court cases involving former President Donald Trump. Last week, the court laid out rules for when government officials can be sued for blocking critics from their social media profiles. These cases were also related to Trump.
The US Department of Justice endorsed the former president and current candidate for office in the November election this year. According to government officials, the phrase “Trump is too small“ can be used but not trademarked because Trump did not consent to its use. Still, T-shirts with the words “Trump is too small“ they can be bought online right now.
Elster's lawyers say the decision violates his free speech rights.
Twice in the past six years, judges have struck down provisions of a federal law denying the retention of trademarks deemed scandalous or immoral in one case and disparaging in another.
The Elster case is related to another measure calling for the refusal to preserve a trademark if it includes a name, portrait or signature “identifying a specific living person” unless the person has given “written consent”.< /p>
The phrase at the heart of the case is a reference to an argument Trump had during the 2016 presidential campaign with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who was also running for the GOP nomination at the time.
Rubio told supporters at a rally that Trump has always called him “little Marco”, but that he also, who claims to be nearly 6 feet tall, has disproportionately small hands. “Have you seen his hands? You know what they say about men with small hands,” Rubio said.
Trump responded to him after a televised debate. “Look at those hands. Are they small? Rubio mentioned my hands - if they're small, something else must be small. I guarantee you there are no problems. I guarantee you”, he said.