Patent office didn’t receive a single public complaint before stripping Redskins trademark

Washington Times ^ | Tuesday, July 1, 2014 | Jim McElhatton

[Hoodat]

The recent decision by an obscure administrative law board to cancel the Washington Redskins‘ trademark registrations came despite the fact the agency hadn’t received a single letter from a member of the public complaining about the team’s name, records show.

The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, which is part of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, ruled last month that the name was disparaging to American Indians. The team is appealing that decision.

Politicians, including President Obama, have waded into the team name controversy, with many saying the team should change its name. But despite widespread media attention and a legal fight that goes back more than a decade, the USPTO recently acknowledged there’s hardly been an avalanche of public complaints filed with the agency.

In fact, the agency doesn’t have any record of correspondence from the public about the Redskins‘ name — expressing sentiments one way or another — prior to the board’s June 18 ruling.

A Freedom of Information Act request from The Washington Times asking for any communications from Congress or the public produced just 13 pages of records.

Six of those pages were . . .

[fella]

"The recent decision by an obscure administrative law board to cancel the Washington Redskins‘ trademark registrations came despite the fact the agency hadn’t received a single letter from a member of the public complaining about the team’s name, records show."

They were just following orders from above.

[LibertyOh]

That’s their objective. Too many things happening to keep up with it all - so pile more distractions on like a silly trademark case sure to make the news and people will talk about this instead of the southern invasion or the now fully militarized Al Qaeda heir and continuing unemployment.

God help us stem the tide in November. They are trying their best to collapse the system before then, or provoke an impeachment battle in order to re-establish victimhood and then blame non-progress on anything actually benefitting our country as the fault of those wascally wepublicans.

[molson209]

No ,it was Harry The Reid

[notdownwidems]

They can keep using the name..., but just won’t have the federal trademark to go after others who put the name on products. Opens the door to cheap “counterfeits.” If they are unsuccessful reinstating the mark, wouldn’t be surprised if they change their name and get a new trademark - lots of money selling stuff with the team’s name on it.

So all these cheap counterfeits will give a lot more publicity (e.g. people wearing the shirts and caps, etc.) to the name Redskins...again the feds shoot themselves in the foot! At least on that point I am glad!

[LibertyOh]

“So all these cheap counterfeits will give a lot more publicity (e.g. people wearing the shirts and caps, etc.) to the name Redskins...”

You are correct that the law of unintended consequences would apply to yet another liberal brain f*rt. If they keep the name I would agree - lots more products being sold with the supposedly offensive name, thus more offense being made.

This is where the capitalism will step back in. If the owner of the name has essentially had his ownership taken away and given to anyone wanting to use it, he’ll come up with another name for his team so he can control the sales of merchandise with the name he owns on it. But this will take some time, and I wouldn’t be surprised for fans to ignore the new name and simply buy shirts and caps... with the old name - at a greatly reduced price. It will take years for a new name to become established in the minds of true fans.

[jsanders2001]

You’d think all that money spent educating the liberals would give them at least some modicum of rational thinking skills. They claim to be so intelligent yet they cannot look at all the evidence piled sky high for all to see and understand that their idol is a fabricated deceiver of the highest order and means to do this nation harm with prejudice

[ladyjane]

The patent office acted stupidly.

[Zippo44]

Rename the Redskin Potatoes, or better yet, rename the team the Washington Liberals.

[Zippo44]

Sorry, I meant to say rename the team the Washington Libtards. Pink uniforms and ballet slippers.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Rush Limbaugh remarked on today’s show that now that the trademark has been revoked, the Redskins moniker will now be all over the place.

I will enjoy the salty taste of the tears of the grievance mongers when that happens.

Maryland “Freak State” PING!

[ConorMacNessa]

America demands Justice for the Fallen of Benghazi!

O stranger, tell the Lacedaemonians that we lie here, obedient to their command.

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[Bigg Red]

Soros Administration just flexing its muscles. I guess the message is a warning to all businesses of what can happen to them.