Ukraine tries trademarking 'Russian warship, go f*** yourself' insult, EU court says no

Ukraine sought to trademark the wartime phrase, “Russian warship, go f*** yourself,” but the European Union’s General Court has denied the application, ruling the slogan a political message, not a brand identifier.

Here’s how this bizarre incident has unfolded.

The phrase originated early in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during a now-famous exchange between Ukrainian border guards stationed on Snake Island in the Black Sea and a Russian warship.

According to an audio clip from the incident that took place in 2022, Russian forces onboard a warship issued a chilling warning to Snake Island’s Ukrainian forces.

The warship’s radio operator said: “Snake Island, I am a Russian warship. I suggest you lay down your arms and surrender, otherwise you will be hit. Do you copy?”

A Ukrainian soldier responded with defiance,“Russian warship, go f*** yourself.”

The exchange quickly became a symbol of Ukraine’s resistance and defiance, going viral and inspiring Ukrainians at home and abroad.

The slogan appeared on billboards, T-shirts, mugs, and a national postage stamp, becoming a major part of the cultural consciousness of the nation.

Seeking to protect the phrase commercially, Ukraine’s border guard force applied to register it as a trademark in the EU.

However, the EU General Court upheld a prior decision on Wednesday, stating that the phrase could not serve as a trademark because the average consumer would see it solely as a political message, not an indicator of origin for goods or services.

The court explained, “A sign is incapable of fulfilling the essential function of a trademark if the average consumer perceives it solely as a political message.”

With the war still ongoing, the slogan continues representing defiance, albeit without the formal trademark protection Ukraine had sought.

Perhaps in a sign of vindication for Kyiv, Russia ultimately withdrew from Snake Island, calling it a “goodwill gesture”. Ukrainian forces, however, disputed this, pointing to heavy losses Moscow sustained trying to hold the territory.

With inputs from agencies