The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has once again rejected a request by Ukraine’s State Border Guard to register the slogan "Russian warship, go fuck yourself” as a trademark.

According to Politico, EUIPO has informed Kyiv that the slogan does not meet the bloc’s requirements to be granted a trademark.

"Russian warship, go fuck yourself” became internationally famous as a slogan when yelled by Ukrainian border guard Roman Hrybov at the Russian missile cruiser Moskva, on the first day of the battle for Snake Island at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

According to EUIPO, the trademark was first rejected in July 2022 because it was “contrary to accepted principles of morality as it seeks [...] financial gain from what is universally accepted to be a tragic event.” After an appeal in December 2022, it was rejected again, citing  “vulgar language with an insulting sexual connotation.”

“Even if the sign was to be considered as a message of bravery and courage, it [trivialises] the Russian invasion and uses the sign as merely a tool to sell merchandising goods such as jewels, toys, clothing, wallets, etc,” the explanation said. 

In 2023 the State Border Guard appealed once again, and again was rejected, with the EUIPO stating that the slogan lacks “distinctive character.”

Speaking to Politico, Brussels-based lawyers Andrej Bukovnik and Taras Kulbaba – who filed the application – maintain that the application should be accepted. They contend that “bad actors” are trying to cash in on the slogan, and have rejected suggestions that the State Border Guard having the trademark would be “war profiteering.”

“It cannot be compared to anything else in history of trademark law in Europe,” Bukovnik told the news outlet. “And I think that it is very clear that [...] the consumers would know where the goods are coming from if they are marked with that kind of trademark.”