NFL Team Can Keep 'Redskins' Trademark

Yahoo! News (AP) ^ | 10/1/2003 | Sam Hananel

[Pyro7480]

NFL Team Can Keep 'Redskins' Trademark

By SAM HANANEL, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - A federal judge has overturned a ruling revoking the Washington Redskins trademark, finding there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the name is disparaging to American Indians.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly issued the ruling in connection with a 1999 decision by a panel of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. But she also made clear that her ruling does not address the issue of whether the name "Redskins" actually is offensive to Indians.

Redskins spokesman Karl Swanson said the team hadn't reviewed the entire ruling but "from what we've been told by our attorneys, we are pleased."

If the team lost, it could have been stripped of the exclusive rights to market the Redskins name.

The lawsuit began in 1992 when seven American Indians, led by Suzan Shown Harjo, asked the trademark office to cancel six trademarks containing the word "Redskin." In 1999, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board granted a petition to cancel the team's trademark registrations because of a federal law, the Lanham Act, prohibiting registering "disparaging" names.

In her 84-page decision, issued late Tuesday, Kollar-Kotelly also found that the plaintiffs waited too long to make their claims under the law, which was in effect when the Redskins trademarks were registered in 1967.

[dmz]

the Laurel Redskins doesn't do much for ya, does it?

[doodad]

And the really funny thing is there was an Atlanta Black Crackers in the Negro League!

[discostu]

It's a place name, very few place names are exciting. TMQ recommends the Patomic Drainage Baisin, I like that.

Of course if we make the Skins be accurate in their naming we'll have to turn our attention to the "not in New York" Giants and Jets.

[TheTopRead]

No one would name a team . . . "Raging Rapists."

If they did, though, I doubt Klintoon and his fellow rapists would protest the publicity.

TheTopRead

[Skooz]

Oh yeah. I vaguely remember something like that.

[jae471]

Try Landover Redskins.

[Kleon]

"Welcome to FR."

Thank you kindly!

[Darksheare]

On the other hand, maybe Danes and other Gael (Since some Vikings settled there as well) people should sue based off of the term 'Viking' being offensive.

Anyone out there remember WHY mascots are chosen?

[fr_freak]

And if they created a professional team named after one of those slurs, I would expect the court to thry and block them.

Although I think you're right about the blocking attempt, I can't think of anything in the Constitution that gives federal courts the authority to attempt such a blockage. Can you? The judiciary is supposed to interpret laws, not dictate acceptable behavior and sports names.

[dmz]

keyboard functioning. brain, not so much.

business as usual.

[==Oink==]

My mother's 3/4 Native American, and I've never felt discriminated against by the "Redskins".

The liberal mantra is bitch, bitch, bitch....

[HEY4QDEMS]

I'd be very willing to wager that people in Boston in 1933 had just a little bit more to worry about and to be ''offended'' about than the nickname of a sports team

I would be very willing to bet the same thing. I didn't say it was a major issue or that there was a large contingent of people opposed to it, only that some sentiments were conveyed to the team owner by citizens who viewed the name as offensive.

[DocJ69]

As person from Missouri, during the Civil War we were called the "Redlegs", now after all the time has passed, my Southern relatives feel discriminated by the term "Yankees" Being a KC Royals fan I have been offended quite often by such a dicrimatory name. I think it should be abolished.

[jae471]

Some new names:

The Minnesota People of Nordic Descent who Pillage.

The Pittsburg Sea-Commandos.

The Vancover Anglo-Saxon Conquerors who destroyed the Natives in Northern North America

The Cleveland Civilized Hunter-Gatherers of North America who were viciously misnamed by Colombus

The Atlanta Not-Afraid-of-A-Good-Fight

The Cesspool on the Potomac Civilized Hunter-Gatherers of North America who were viciously called racist names by their Anglo-Saxon overlords.

The Washington We Suck-ards.

The other side of the hudson from New York people of great size.

The New York Anglo-Saxon overlords.

The Indianapolis Recently-Foaled Equines.

The San Fransico Anglo-Saxon overlord oppressors who raped and pillaged the land to get rich.

The Montreal French Conquerors who destroyed the Natives in Northern North America

The Orlando Practice of Pagan Ritual

The Tennesee Gods who were overthrown by their own children.

The New England Tea-Wasters

The Dallas Cattle-Slaughterers.

The New Orleans Self-righteous Religious Oppressors.

The Anaheim Immortal Creatures created by a cruel and oppressive God.

[glennaro]

This topic calls to mind radio talkshow host and Jewish scholar Dennis Prager's comment on sports team names. To paraphrase:

I would love to have a team named "the Jews". It would be a thrill to hear, for the first time in history, 60,000 people screaming, "Go Jews!"

[==Oink==]

There's nothing wrong with using your name! Hey, how'd we get in sucha mess?

[rs79bm]

so is "cracker" and "nigger" but many minorities excercise those words with impunity.

Impunity is an understatement. Minorities use those words like they use "brother" and "sister". But let me use it, and I'm a racist. It's this kind of class action that is this Country's biggest downfall.

[Chad Fairbanks]

I dont imagine they meant it in a bad way, either, which is why I don't see why people had to get into this whole court case thing. Waste of time. That has been my position on this issue since day 1 :0)

[rs79bm]

Classic quote from Spurrier when asked about his first year on the job as an NFL coach: "Well, I learned one thing about my first year as Head Coach in the National Football League: You're not just going to come into the Ball Park and start throwing the ball around." LOL!

[Chad Fairbanks]

Well, you are missing some of the point... not all of it, but some of it.

I don't really care if someone is using the phrase "Redskin". While I personally don't like it, I don't see the need to launch a court battle to stop someone from using it.

Secondly, I agree with the whole PC thing being out of control...