Which of the following is a category of unprotected speech under FIDO?

Which of the following is a category of unprotected speech under FIDO?

• A. Fighting words
• B. Intellectual property
• C. Political campaign advertising
• D. Commercial speech

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that some expressions are not protected by the First Amendment, and one classic example is fighting words—words directed at a specific person or group that are likely to provoke an immediate violent reaction. This category exists because it serves no legitimate communicative purpose and threatens public peace, so the government may regulate or prohibit it without violating free-speech rights. Among the options, fighting words is the unprotected type. Intellectual property issues don’t make speech unprotected; they create remedies for infringement. Political campaign advertising and commercial speech are ordinarily protected, though they can be regulated in certain ways (commercial speech with consumer-protection rules, campaign ads with robust protections to preserve political dialogue). The fighting-words category stands out as the one that is not protected under the First Amendment.

The key idea is that some expressions are not protected by the First Amendment, and one classic example is fighting words—words directed at a specific person or group that are likely to provoke an immediate violent reaction. This category exists because it serves no legitimate communicative purpose and threatens public peace, so the government may regulate or prohibit it without violating free-speech rights.

Among the options, fighting words is the unprotected type. Intellectual property issues don’t make speech unprotected; they create remedies for infringement. Political campaign advertising and commercial speech are ordinarily protected, though they can be regulated in certain ways (commercial speech with consumer-protection rules, campaign ads with robust protections to preserve political dialogue). The fighting-words category stands out as the one that is not protected under the First Amendment.