Legal Definitions - immoral subject matter

Immoral subject matter refers to inventions or trademarks that are considered socially unacceptable or lacking in beneficial use.

• Patents: Inventions that promote illegal or harmful activities, such as gambling devices or fraudulent products, may be denied patents. However, this doctrine is rarely used today.
• Trademarks:Scandalous subject matter, such as offensive language or explicit imagery, may be denied trademark protection.

These examples illustrate how the law seeks to prevent the promotion of socially unacceptable or harmful activities through patents and trademarks. By denying protection to such subject matter, the law aims to discourage their use and promote socially beneficial inventions and trademarks.