The office cancelled six trademarks, the oldest dating back to 1967, involving the NFL franchise's use of the term "redskin". The complaint was brought to the patent office by a native american group, which presented substantial evidence of the term being "racially disparaging", a quality which bars something from being trademarked under U.S. law.

 

I haven't even begun parsing through this yet, but here's the patent ruling.

 

Patent and Trademark Office Ruling

 

For what it's worth, the office made a similar finding over 20 years ago that was reversed on appeal.

 

And an article outlining the decision:

 

Business Insider: Redskins Trademarks Canceled

Eventually will be forced to change name. I hope they never let Harry Reid attend a game.

They said on TV just now that anyone could sell "Redskins" merchandise and the team would have little recourse. I'm not sure if they are correct in saying that or not.

They said on TV just now that anyone could sell "Redskins" merchandise and the team would have little recourse. I'm not sure if they are correct in saying that or not.

 

In general, yeah that's what it means. The organization can use whatever name and logo it wants, but it'll no longer have the hammer of federal law to prevent anyone else from using it.

Pretty much forces the issue IMO, a Team has to be able protect their property.

 

Looks like we need to fire up the "What should the Redskins Name be" thread again.

Good. Now Snyder can sue the govt over this nonsense and we can all sleep peacefully again.

It's a game of chicken....

Nice to know that they can just break trademarks at free will even though they approved the original trademarks.

Nice to know that they can just break trademarks at free will even though they approved the original trademarks.

 

Anything is possible while this current clown administration is in office.

Moved this so not to hijack the "what should new name thread be" thread

 

The people who are offended don't live in D.C., they live on the little corners of western states we corralled them into in the 19th century. That's who gets to decide this.

 

The trademark office can only find something "racially disparaging" in order to prevent a trademark from being approved if a "significant number" (a term up to much interpretation, but settled on over 30%) of the peoples to which the term applies find such a term disparaging. The percentage of the overall population who may or may not find it disparaging is of no consequence to the trademark office.

 

I think the 30% is what may get challenged in court...there have only been a couple of Tribes come out against the name and the vast majority have either said it's no big deal or no issue at all.

 

According to this she filed on behalf of 5 people... Who is Amanda Blackhorse in Redskins? trademark case? - The Washington Post

Nice to know that they can just break trademarks at free will even though they approved the original trademarks.

 

Well, yea. Is anyone disputing that the Patent and Trademark Office does not have to issue a trademark to a racially offensive term and that they have the authority to decide that? And surely "the term has been used for a long time" isn't much of a defense against it being racially disparaging.

Well, yea. Is anyone disputing that the Patent and Trademark Office does not have to issue a trademark to a racially offensive term and that they have the authority to decide that? And surely "the term has been used for a long time" isn't much of a defense against it being racially disparaging.

 

Some may think that your Username was offensive...should we make you change it?

Some may think that your Username was offensive...should we make you change it?

 

Go ahead. It means something like "friend" or "lover" in English, though, so it would be an interesting case of offensiveness.

I don't like friendly people, I'm offended.

Is this a Democrat issue? I thought I read that Republicans want the name changed also.