Legal Opinion
Ashton v. U.S. Copyright Office
Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
Decided March 8, 2018No. Case No. 16–cv–02305 (APM)PublishedCited by 4 opinions
1Opinion of the Court
Amit P. Mehta, United States District Judge
In her now iconic song "Sorry," Beyoncé Knowles references the universally understood "middle finger"1 to express her hostility and feelings of betrayal over what *152listeners widely believe to be her husband's infidelity.2 Plaintiff Wesley Scott Ashton makes use of the middle finger for a different reason: He has placed a "pictogram" of an extended middle finger on a coffee mug, along with the phrase "People Pleaser in Recovery," to communicate a satirical message about overcoming obsequious behavior-quite literally an act of "mean mugging."3 Plaintiff…
2Cases cited19 opinions
- Motor Vehicle Mfrs. Assn. of United States, Inc. v. State Farm Mut. Automobile Ins. Co.Supreme Court of the United States · 1983
- Bowman Transportation, Inc. v. Arkansas-Best Freight System, Inc.Supreme Court of the United States · 1975
- Feist Publications, Inc. v. Rural Telephone Service Co.Supreme Court of the United States · 1991
- Marsh v. Oregon Natural Resources CouncilSupreme Court of the United States · 1989
- Bowen v. American Hospital Assn.Supreme Court of the United States · 1986
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3Cited by4 opinions
- Music Choice v. ClaggettDistrict Court, S.D. Illinois · 2019
- Munro v. United States Copyright OfficeDistrict Court, District of Columbia · 2024
- Music Choice v. ClaggettDistrict Court, S.D. New York · 2019
- Stone v. United States Department of State ca/ocs/ciDistrict Court, District of Columbia · 2026