The Washington Redskins said Wednesday’s ruling that canceled its trademark registrations was no big deal.
“We’ve seen this story before,” Bob Raskopf, the team’s trademark attorney, said in a statement. “And just like last time, today’s ruling will have no effect at all on the team’s ownership of and right to use the Redskins name and logo.”
Raskopf’s statement came in response to a ruling from The United States Patent and Trademark Office, which ruled that the team’s trademarks “were disparaging to Native Americans at the respective times they were registered.”
“This ruling – which of course we will appeal – simply addresses the team’s federal trademark registrations, and the team will continue to own and be able to protect its marks without the registrations,” Raskopf said. “The registrations will remain effective while the case is on appeal.”
Wednesday’s ruling was the second time the patent office had considered and ruled on a petition to cancel the Redskins’ trademark registrations. Following the last ruling, a federal court ultimately reversed the patent office’s decision. Raskopf argued that the “evidence in the current claim is virtually identical to the evidence a federal judge decided was insufficient more than ten years ago.”
“We expect the same ultimate outcome here,” he said.
Yes, but have they ever had people boycott their games before? Senator Reid has said he will not go to their games until they change their name. The owners of the Redskins have the right to keep their name, but people have the right to boycott their games because of the name too. I am not sure how many people will do that, but I would suppose Senator Reid is a good start.
But in 10 years beliefs, attitudes, and interpretations can change especially on issues of discrimination and bigotry. Look what has happened in attitudes toward gay marriage. It has gone very quickly from icky to equal rights.
“And just like last time, today’s ruling will have no effect at all on the team’s ownership of and right to use the Redskins name and logo.”
Exactly. Nor will it impede anyone else from putting it on items and selling them far more cheaply than the crap you and the NFL sold with exclusive rights until now.
You can delay the inevitable based on appeal, but you’d best be holding a “name the team” contest among your fan base real quick-like, that is, unless you care more about preserving your bigotry than about preserving those revenues. And since this is about business more than stupid pride, I suspect you’ll see the light soon enough.
I wouldn’t expect they have enough fans that’ll boycott their games to make a difference. However, the nation as a whole can choose to boycott their advertisers and financial supporters.
Would somebody explain just why the Redskins owners are so smitten with the name? I don’t think keeping the Native American equivalent of the “N” word as your name is worth the trouble.