Florida Trademark Department to Japanese Restaurant Owner: Fuku
The Florida Department of State Divisions of Corporations has rejected the request of West Palm Beach business owner Paul Ardaji to trademark the name of his restaurant, fuku.
Why? Because it sounds too much like "fuck you."
"The mark consists of, compromises or includes immoral, deceptive or scandalous matter," the department wrote in its decision letter.
But Ardaji says "fuku" is none of those things, being an innocent Japanese word that means good fortune, wealth and prosperity. "I believe they're culturally unaware of what the word means," said his attorney James D'Loughy. "I think there is some puritanical viewpoint based on the letter we received."
Ardaji will still launch the restaurant as planned, but D'Loughy points out that sans trademark, the establishment's name is not protected from misuse by rival restaurants.
