US Patent Office cancels Commanders Trademarks

[Phoenix]

http://thinkprogress.org/default/20...ncels-trademark-for-Commanders-football-team/


In Landmark Decision, U.S. Patent Office Cancels Trademark For Commanders Football Team
By Travis Waldron June 18, 2014 at 9:49 am Updated: June 18, 2014 at 9:57 am

The United States Patent and Trademark Office has canceled six federal trademark registrations for the name of the Washington Commanders, ruling that the name is “disparaging to Native Americans” and thus cannot be trademarked under federal law that prohibits the protection of offensive or disparaging language.

The U.S. PTO’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board issued a ruling in the case, brought against the team by plaintiff Amanda Blackhorse, Wednesday morning.

“We decide, based on the evidence properly before us, that these registrations must be cancelled because they were disparaging to Native Americans at the respective times they were registered,” the board wrote in its opinion.

 

[WoodysGirl]

 

[WoodysGirl]

 

[Denim Chicken]

@Hardline @Califan007

I don't want to say "I told you so", but...

 

[WoodysGirl]

 

[WoodysGirl]

 

[Denim Chicken]

Evidently this happened before, in the 90's, and was overturned on appeal.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Just remember the rules...

#7 - You will not post political discussions or comments.

If you break the rule, you get benched.

 

[WoodysGirl]

 

[LatinMind]

Wow US patent and trademark office has cancelled the Commanders trademark. hahahaha

 

[JD_KaPow]

Wow US patent and trademark office has cancelled the Commanders trademark. hahahaha

Wow. That would seem to make a name change both inevitable and imminent, unless they can and do fight it in court.

 

[d_dub88]

Hilarious!

 

[speedkilz88]

Wow. That would seem to make a name change both inevitable and imminent, unless they can and do fight it in court.

Appeals court has over-ruled this thing before.

 

[DallasEast]

Wow US patent and trademark office has cancelled the Commanders trademark. hahahaha

LMAO!

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

The Washington "Reddish Hue Skintones"?

 

[LittleD]

Wow. That would seem to make a name change both inevitable and imminent, unless they can and do fight it in court.

They can appeal this ruling and likely the Supreme Court will overturn the idiots...

Now I'm sure the Cowboys logo is disparaging to someone someplace so I expect to see a court challenge to change our
logo's soon...Right???

 

[TheCount]

Did they lose the trademark? I heard they had 6 trademarks cancelled for being disparaging to Native Americans, which doesn't necessarily mean they lost the Commander trademark. They could have filed a number of other trademarks related to the Commander name that were invalidated, just like if the Cowboys lost the "Dallas Cowboy's Cheerleaders" trademark, that doesn't invalidate Dallas Cowboys as a trademark, for example.

 

[Denim Chicken]

I told everyone that the name would change:

Washington Commanders® --> Washington Commanders™

 

[DallasEast]

U.S. patent office cancels Commanders trademark registration, says name is disparaging

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...737bb8-f6ee-11e3-8aa9-dad2ec039789_story.html

The United States Patent and Trademark Office has canceled the Washington Commanders trademark registration, calling the football team’s name “disparaging to Native Americans.”

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 “Commander.”

***

It's about damn time.

 

[daschoo]

They can appeal this ruling and likely the Supreme Court will overturn the idiots...

Now I'm sure the Cowboys logo is disparaging to someone someplace so I expect to see a court challenge to change our
logo's soon...Right???

It should be, the star is surely a constant reminder of childhood failings and therefore causes distress to idiots who never got a gold star at school.