NFL's Washington Redskins lose trademark on team name

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nehalem256

Lifer
Apr 13, 2012
15,669
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If there were a sports team called The Norrbagges then they probably would

You think the issue is restricted to just the Redskins?

National pressure has been less on the Indians, Braves, Blackhawks and Chiefs. Obama and Reid didn't mention them. But the National Congress of American Indians, which bills itself as the nation's most representative American Indian and Alaska Native advocacy organization, has long called for the abolition of all such team names in pro sports.

"I say they're all equally offensive," Blackhorse said. "They all promote stereotypes of native people for profit. And that's not right."

So why is no one calling for an end to the Vikings?
 

nehalem256

Lifer
Apr 13, 2012
15,669
8
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Local NAACP chapter president Morris Shearin complained that the name "Wizards" carried Ku Klux Klan associations, as the Klan's supreme leader is called the Imperial Wizard, while state leaders are "Grand Dragons." Others observed that the new logo featured a ball-handling, robe-clad wizard wearing a pointy blue brimless hat – just like the KKK! Well, except for the ball-handling part.
http://espn.go.com/page2/wash/s/closer/020316.html

Yeah, I think its pretty clear that sports team names are nothing more than a manufactured issue, so that minority advocacy groups can claim to be doing something for their communities without having to do work on actual hard issues facing them.
 

TheSiege

Diamond Member
Jun 5, 2004
3,918
14
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You think the issue is restricted to just the Redskins?



So why is no one calling for an end to the Vikings?

Viking isn't slang or a slur, is it really that hard to understand? Viking is a group of seafarers. Its not derogatory at all.
 

nehalem256

Lifer
Apr 13, 2012
15,669
8
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Viking isn't slang or a slur, is it really that hard to understand? Viking is a group of seafarers. Its not derogatory at all.

So I take it you failed to read what I said.

According to Blackhorse all team mascots related to Indians are equally offensive.
 

justoh

Diamond Member
Jun 11, 2013
3,686
81
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The best thing about America is its freedom of speech. Why do people want to destroy that? What would be left?
 

TheSiege

Diamond Member
Jun 5, 2004
3,918
14
81
The best thing about America is its freedom of speech. Why do people want to destroy that? What would be left?

No one is being suppressed, the team and owner still have freedom of speech. Just not freedom from speech.
 

smackababy

Lifer
Oct 30, 2008
27,024
79
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Well neither was n!gg3r so by that logic no one should be bothered by the use of it

I believe, but won't do any research at work, that the particular word in question in your post was made entirely to disparage negros.

But, no, nobody should be bothered by the use of a word, especially one not directed towards them with malice.


And, if Native Americans want to get offended by anything, it should be the Cleveland Indians and their caricature mascot.
 

justoh

Diamond Member
Jun 11, 2013
3,686
81
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No one is being suppressed, the team and owner still have freedom of speech. Just not freedom from speech.

Sorry, for some reason i was under the impression that they've lost their trademark over this nonsense.
 

TheSiege

Diamond Member
Jun 5, 2004
3,918
14
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Sorry, for some reason i was under the impression that they've lost their trademark over this nonsense.

They have lost their trademark, they haven't been forced to change their name
Trademarks aren't a right, they're a privilege.
 
Last edited:

justoh

Diamond Member
Jun 11, 2013
3,686
81
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They have lost their trademark, they haven't been forced to change their name
Trademarks aren't a right, they're a privilege.

"To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries."

???

edit: okay apparently trademarks aren't protected by the copyright clause.

Still pretty gay, but i'm always happy to admit when i'm wrong.
 
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TerryMathews

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
11,473
2
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They have lost their trademark, they haven't been forced to change their name
Trademarks aren't a right, they're a privilege.
I don't think the NFL will allow a team to operate without a trademark.

I also don't understand the legal basis PTO used to revoke a valid, issued trademark. Surely it was as much a slur then as it is now.

Someone should also let Longmire know this is a slur, so the Native American actors on the show will stop using it.
 

smackababy

Lifer
Oct 30, 2008
27,024
79
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I don't think the NFL will allow a team to operate without a trademark.

I also don't understand the legal basis PTO used to revoke a valid, issued trademark. Surely it was as much a slur then as it is now.

Someone should also let Longmire know this is a slur, so the Native American actors on the show will stop using it.

It doesn't matter if the NFL will allow it or not, it is a terrible idea to operate something like an NFL team without a trademark on the name and logo. The teams make tons of money on merchandise. Without a trademark, anyone could slap their logo on an item and sell it. That is really bad for business.

I do think the Redskins will win the appeal. Revoking a trademark based on dislike for the word seems like shaky legal ground.
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
84,825
49,527
136
Sorry, for some reason i was under the impression that they've lost their trademark over this nonsense.

Trademarks aren't speech. If anything, a trademark represents a restriction on the speech of others.
 

TheSiege

Diamond Member
Jun 5, 2004
3,918
14
81
"To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries."

???

okay apparently trademarks aren't protected by the copyright clause. just give me a few minutes to research the commerce clause.

Trademarks are a right granted to you based upon a certain criteria. There is no god given right to legally own the sole use of a word.
 

smackababy

Lifer
Oct 30, 2008
27,024
79
86
Well, this sounds like complete bullshit.
In its 2-1 ruling issued on Wednesday, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, an independent tribunal within the USPTO, wrote it was charged with determining only whether the mark was offensive to the people it referenced...
Who is to say the name doesn't refer to the specific tribe that were originally called the Redskins and not all Native Americans? Wouldn't it be offensive for the Seminoles to refer to all tribes as Seminoles?
 

justoh

Diamond Member
Jun 11, 2013
3,686
81
91
Trademarks aren't speech. If anything, a trademark represents a restriction on the speech of others.

Yes that makes a lot more sense. Free speech implicated when someone uses another's trademark, for non commercial purposes, but nothing beyond that to do with the tm holder.
 
Jun 18, 2014
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I think that a lot of people feel so helpless that they need to affect change in order to temporarily feel like they matter.
 

justoh

Diamond Member
Jun 11, 2013
3,686
81
91
Trademarks are a right granted to you based upon a certain criteria. There is no god given right to legally own the sole use of a word.

Alright already! My question marks weren't meant to be ironic. Was a question. I'm sorry
 
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