US patent office cancels Washington Redskins trademarks

[+Raze Subscriber²]

And why is that NOBODY has attacked the NFL Kansas City Chiefs, MLB Atlanta Braves, or ACC Florida State Seminoles?

 

What is even MORE hilarious is that NONE of the locally-based Native American tribes actually LIVING in the SMSA that is home to the Redskins' franchise is complaining.

 

 In other words, why THIS team, as opposed to any of the others?

 

The Florida State Seminoles' use of the Seminole name is officially sanctioned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, including the appearance of Chief Osceola and Renegade at games

In July 2005, the Seminole Nation General Council, the legislative body for the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, voted 18-2 not to oppose the use of Native American names and mascots by college sports teams.

[nub]

No -- it is simply the name of a football team -- nothing more.

Just another thing for people with nothing better to do, to complain about.

 

"The earliest known appearance of the term in print occurred on October 9, 1813 in an article quoting a letter dated August 27, 1813 from a gentleman at St. Louis concerning an expedition being formed and to be led by Gen. Benjamin Howard to "route the savages from the Illinois and Mississippi territories[.]" "The expedition will be 40 days out, and there is no doubt but we shall have to contend with powerful hordes of red skins, as our frontiers have been lined with them last summer, and have had frequent skirmishes with our regulars and rangers.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redskin_%28slang%29

 

This is a particularly fun image:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Wild_West_1908.jpg

[Hurmoth]

"The earliest known appearance of the term in print occurred on October 9, 1813 in an article quoting a letter dated August 27, 1813 from a gentleman at St. Louis concerning an expedition being formed and to be led by Gen. Benjamin Howard to "route the savages from the Illinois and Mississippi territories[.]" "The expedition will be 40 days out, and there is no doubt but we shall have to contend with powerful hordes of red skins, as our frontiers have been lined with them last summer, and have had frequent skirmishes with our regulars and rangers.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redskin_%28slang%29

 

This is a particularly fun image:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Wild_West_1908.jpg

In 2005 Smithsonian Institution senior linguist Ives Goddard spent seven months researching the term and concluded it was first used by Native Americans as a way to distinguish themselves from whites.  The term ?Red Skin? was not conceived as a slur.

 

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/02/AR2005100201139.html

[MDboyz]

Only if the Government puts this much effort into fixing the economics !!! 

[techbeck]

The US Patent and Trademark Office has cancelled six trademarks belonging to the Washington Redskins, the NFL team that's found itself the target of increasing backlash for using a racist slur as its name. "These registrations must be cancelled because they were disparaging to Native Americans at the respective times they were registered," the USPTO wrote in its decision. These trademarks largely cover broadcast rights, however, and it's unclear if that will lead to a material impact on the team ? generally seen as among them most profitable in the league.

 

"The record establishes that, at a minimum, approximately thirty percent of Native Americans found the term 'redskins' used in connection with respondent?s services to be disparaging at all times including 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978, and 1990," the USPTO writes. "Thirty percent is without doubt a substantial composite. To determine otherwise means it is acceptable to subject to disparagement one out of every three individuals."

 

These petitions have actually been cancelled once before by the USPTO, the first coming from a challenge back in 1992. That was later overturned after an appeal, however, because the court found that the decision was not supported by substantial evidence. Now, the USPTO has clearly sought to avoid a repeat of this, specifically backing up its decision with what it calls substantial evidence.

 

"We've seen this story before," Bob Raskopf, the Washington Redskins' trademark attorney, says 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 says that he is confident the team will win the trademarks back on an appeal.

 

More....

http://www.theverge.com/2014/6/18/5820748/washington-redskins-trademarks-six-cancelled-in-us

[thejohnnyq]

Time to go after the fighting Irish.............

 

Funny how the real study shows less then 10% of Indians have an issue.  Most don't know the Indian's don't have the word Red Skin in the language, (was relayed from an Indian Chief in Oklahoma who also says 'WHO CARES, not US"). 

[sava700]

I came here to say this is just stupid to argue over after all this time.

[+Eternal Tempest MVC]

So does this mean they can no longer go after unlicensed merchandise / sellers if it's using the no longer valid trademark?

[episode]

So does this mean they can no longer go after unlicensed merchandise / sellers if it's using the no longer valid trademark?

 

Officially NFL licensed and trademarked by the USPTO are two completely different things.

 

So, no, it doesn't mean that at all.

[jakem1]

I came here to say this is just stupid to argue over after all this time.

 

Then why are you arguing?  Just accept that the term is racist and move on.

[sava700]

Then why are you arguing?  Just accept that the term is racist and move on.

 

not racist at all, the name is just fine and I support it NOT being changed.

[George P Global Moderator]

Topics merged, also thinking of renaming the topic as has been suggested. 

[spenser.d]

Funny how redskin didn't bother people for decades.

 

Are they going to rename red skin potatoes too ... ?

 

It likely did bother people, there just wasn't a platform to voice their opinion very loudly in the past as there is today (I.e. social media).

 

And why is that NOBODY has attacked the NFL Kansas City Chiefs, MLB Atlanta Braves, or ACC Florida State Seminoles?

 

What is even MORE hilarious is that NONE of the locally-based Native American tribes actually LIVING in the SMSA that is home to the Redskins' franchise is complaining.

 

 In other words, why THIS team, as opposed to any of the others?

 

Because none of those names are actually disparaging?

[Mandosis]

The high school is used to go had a sports team named the Chieftains but were forced to change it after some non native american people took offense to it where as the people who lived around and went to the school with native american heritage liked the name. But in the situation I can see the issue and why the name should be changed. Redskins is racist and offensive but no one has really thought about it until now.

[neufuse Veteran]

My college had to change their team name years ago from the "Indians" to the "Bears" because "Indians" was found to be offensive....... seriously.....

[Cheatyface]

Officially NFL licensed and trademarked by the USPTO are two completely different things.

 

So, no, it doesn't mean that at all.

 

Actually, in this SPECIFIC case regarding the Redskins, yes it does. NFL Licenses are trademark licenses. No trademark? No valid basis for licensing. Which means unlicensed Redskins merchandise are no longer infringing on NFL trademarks, and they have no basis for a claim.

[Xenon]

They can do that, but they give a patent to move you finger across glass. 

[episode]

Actually, in this SPECIFIC case regarding the Redskins, yes it does. NFL Licenses are trademark licenses. No trademark? No valid basis for licensing. Which means unlicensed Redskins merchandise are no longer infringing on NFL trademarks, and they have no basis for a claim.

 

Sorry, you're wrong.

The NFL can LICENSE whatever it sees fit. The license gets the NFL seal. A trademark is a legal document which is done by the USPTO, and has nothing to do with the NFL. 

[Hum]

who cares