******* Hell beer

The EU's trademarks authority has permitted a German firm to brew beer and produce clothing under the name "******* Hell". It may be an expletive in English, but in German it could refer to a light ale -- Hell -- from the Austrian town of *******. Whether it will be brewed there is another question.

The European Union trademarks authority has permitted a German firm to register the brand name "******* Hell" for a new beer, much to the irritation of the Austrian village of *******.


In English, the term "******* Hell" is just an expletive used to express irritation or surprise. In German, it could refer to a light ale from ******* in Upper Austria, because "Hell" is a term for light ale in southern Germany and Austria.

The problem is that ******* has no brewery, and the town's mayor, Franz Meindl, is not aware of any plans to build one there, Austrian public broadcaster ORF reported on its Web site.

The Trade Marks and Designs Registration Office of the European Union said in a statement that it had rejected a complaint that the trade mark "******* Hell" was upsetting, accusatory and derogatory.

"The word combination claimed contains no semantic indication that could refer to a certain person or group of persons. Nor does it incite a particular act. It cannot even be understood as an instruction that the reader should go to hell," the Office said in its statement.