So what is a bad word, and who gets to decide? The recent presidential election brought people’s attitudes toward offensive language sharply into focus. President-elect Donald Trump’s brashness and eschewing of political correctness may be harbingers of policy shifts in an unlikely place—the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The USPTO is mired in outdated rules and procedures governing the approval of federal trademark applications. The laws are vague, the process is lengthy and has led to the stifling of free speech relating to certain groups including the LGBTQ community. However, things are changing.
