<P> In Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire (1942), the Supreme Court held that speech is unprotected if it constitutes "fighting words". Fighting words, as defined by the Court, is speech that "tend (s) to incite an immediate breach of the peace" by provoking a fight, so long as it is a "personally abusive (word) which, when addressed to the ordinary citizen, is, as a matter of common knowledge, inherently likely to provoke a violent reaction". Additionally, such speech must be "directed to the person of the hearer" and is "thus likely to be seen as a' direct personal insult"'. </P> <P> One legal commentator has suggested that, along with fighting words, speech might be unprotected if the speaker intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly inflicts severe emotional distress . However, the United States Supreme Court has not implemented such an exception, and even if it does, the exception would be probably be limited to private figures . The Court held in Hustler v. Falwell (1988) that satire which could be seen as offensive to a "public figure" is fully protected . Such speech is rooted in a historical protection of political satire . A notable example of a case involving offensive speech was the Court's decision in Texas v. Johnson (1989), which struck down a law criminalizing flag burning in Texas . </P> <P> Threats of violence that are directed at a person or group of persons that has the intent of placing the target at risk of bodily harm or death are generally unprotected . However, there are several exceptions . For example, the Supreme Court has held that "threats may not be punished if a reasonable person would understand them as obvious hyperbole", he writes . Additionally, threats of "social ostracism" and of "politically motivated boycotts" are constitutionally protected . However, sometimes even political speech can be a threat, and thus becomes unprotected . </P> <P> Another class of permissible restrictions on speech is based on intellectual property rights . Things like copyrights or trademarks fall under this exception . The Supreme Court first held this in Harper & Row v. Nation Enterprises (1985), where copyright law was upheld against a First Amendment free speech challenge . Also, broadcasting rights for shows are not an infringement of free speech rights . The Court has upheld such restrictions as an incentive for artists in the' speech marketplace' . </P>

When does the freedom of speech not apply