Last October, in an interview with the Associated Press, President Obama said that the Washington Redskins should think about changing their name. They didn't. Then, in May of this year, 50 Senators - all Democrats - sent the Redskins a letter demanding that they ditch their moniker. Still, team owner Dan Snyder refused. So, now the scandal plagued feds - in desperate need of a distraction - have decided to take action.
It's the Chicago way.
Today, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office stripped the Redskins of its trademarks. From the Washington Post:
The landmark case, which appeared before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, was filed on behalf of five Native Americans. It was the second time such a case was filed.
“This victory was a long time coming and reflects the hard work of many attorneys at our firm,” said lead attorney Jesse Witten, of Drinker Biddle & Reath.
Federal trademark law does not permit registration of trademarks that “may disparage” individuals or groups or “bring them into contempt or disrepute.” The ruling pertains to six different trademarks associated with the team, each containing the word “Redskin.”
Despite the fact that an Annenberg Public Policy Poll from 2004 indicated that only 9% of Native Americans were offended by the name, it has now been decided that it's deeply racist, and will no longer enjoy federal trademark protection.
So, what does that mean?
Well, first of all, you can expect the Redskins to appeal the decision. This isn't the first time the team has gone down this road, since a similar ruling was handed down by the PC-police near the end of the Clinton presidency. In 2009, that ruling was overturned by a federal court which decided the plaintiffs had no standing to file the suit in the first place.
More importantly, if the decision stands, the team doesn't have to change its name. Unfortunately, their trademarks, logos, and name will all be unprotected - meaning that anyone who wants to make knockoff Redskins shirts, jerseys, helmets, etc., will be freely able to do so.
Last May, Snyder told USA today that "We will never change the name of the team. As a lifelong Redskins fan, and I think that the Redskins fans understand the great tradition and what it's all about and what it means, so we feel pretty fortunate to be just working on next season."
He certainly sounds determined, but the majority of a team's earnings come from TV deals and the sale of merchandise. If they can't control the merchandise stream, they'll take an incredible hit. Obama couldn't care less since, as he says in the video below, he's not an owner and has no stake in the team.
It will be interesting to see if Snyder can stick to his guns. If he tries, he'd better expect to enter a politically correct, race-baiting sausage-grinder the likes of which we've never seen before.
