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U.S. Patent Office Cancels Redskins Trademark Registration, Says Name is Disparaging
The Washington Post ^ | Wednesday, June 18, 2014 | Theresa Vargas

Posted on 06/18/2014 7:07:10 AM PDT by kristinn

The United States Patent and Trademark Office has canceled the Washington Redskins 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: nfl; redskins; tyranny
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To: kristinn
The late journalist & writer, James Jackson Kilpatrick, in evaluating a satire I wrote on race relations in the late 1950s, commented on the near impossibility of satirizing on the subject of race in America by exaggeration, as what was happening kept exceeding what a writer could imagine.

Now, 55 years later, his comment is still terribly apt. That this is an idiotic effort at thought control, will not make it less a subject for celebration by those who seek to outlaw the actual realities of human existence. (I could start with the fact that calling members of Indian nations, "Native Americans," actually insults their heritage, but realize that that thought is over the heads of most of the compulsion driven collectivist/egalitarians who will be doing the celebrating of this arbitrary & capricious denial of trade mark protection.)

William Flax

41 posted on 06/18/2014 8:15:30 AM PDT by Ohioan
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To: SoFloFreeper
Satirist Dan McCall battles Hillary Clinton PAC over "Ready for Oligarchy" design [IMAGES]

Earlier this year, Sauk Rapids satirist Dan McCall won a legal victory over the federal government after National Security Agency reps tried to get online retailers to stop selling shirts emblazoned with the the agency's seal and slogans like this: "The NSA: The only part of government that actually listens." The NSA essentially claimed their logo is copyrighted and couldn't be used without permission, an argument that didn't pass muster in light of the First Amendment's protection of satire. Now, a pro-Hillary Clinton group is making a version of that same argument to once again get McCall's products pulled from stores. (McCall also sells his shirts on his own site, LibertyManiacs.com.) http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2014/06/satirist_dan_mccall_battles_hillary_clinton_pac_over_ready_for_oligarchy_design_images.php Leftists always want to ban things they don't approve of.

42 posted on 06/18/2014 8:20:50 AM PDT by TurboZamboni (Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.-JFK)
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To: Bogey78O

What about the Browns? Can’t just go around calling people Browns!


43 posted on 06/18/2014 8:31:32 AM PDT by defconw (LUTFA!)
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To: Vigilanteman

This is what a dictator looks like.

Last week the Marxist visited an Indian reservation, this week the Marxist seizes the assets of a privately owned company. Both to suit his political goals.

We are Venezuela.


44 posted on 06/18/2014 8:32:47 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.)
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To: kristinn
Hmmm. The Patent Office approved the patent application quite a while ago, I would guess. As far as I know, they can't legally change their decision after rendering it, and having the applicant invest money in building the brand. The bureaucrats can't un-throw that rock. If the name has genuinely become disparaging, the marketplace will take care of it, people will avoid watching the REDSKINS play, and it will fall into disuse.

This is one of the few cases where the Supreme Court has jurisdiction, since the case it Federal, and it should go there.

What's embarrassing is the amateurish quality of the Democratic revolutionaries.

45 posted on 06/18/2014 8:36:09 AM PDT by SamuraiScot
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To: kristinn

Takings Clause


46 posted on 06/18/2014 8:41:40 AM PDT by NonValueAdded ("The Arab Spring is over. Welcome to the Jihadi Spring." Jonah Goldberg)
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To: chopperman

Careful, the name may not be trademarked, but you can be sure the logo still is.


47 posted on 06/18/2014 8:42:23 AM PDT by Boogieman
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To: kristinn

The Washington Redskins franchise is going to be hounded until they cave and change the name.

Those opposed to the name/logo/trademark have tasted blood [support from various governmental entities]. They will pursue this relentlessly. That is how they operate. As soon as they get what they want, they will find something else to be offended by.

Regrettably, the question is no longer ‘will the Redskins management concede’ but ‘when will the Redskins management concede?’

The PC crowd, all 5 of them in this case, win.


48 posted on 06/18/2014 8:43:42 AM PDT by TomGuy
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To: kristinn

How about when every fan in the stadium at Atlanta Braves games are doing the tomahawk chop and singing the war cry, or whatever it is?


49 posted on 06/18/2014 9:01:09 AM PDT by Veggie Todd (The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. TJ)
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To: kristinn

Tempest in a teapot:

‘Native Americans have won at this stage before, in 1999. But the team and the NFL won an appeal to federal court in 2009. The court did not rule on the merits of the case, however, but threw it out, saying that the plaintiffs didn’t have standing to file it. The team is likely to make the same appeal this time. Team officials are expected to make a statement this morning.

‘Robert Raskopf, a lawyer who has been representing the team since the first case was filed in 1992, was not concerned about the ruling.

‘“We’ve seen this story before,” he said. “And just like last time, today’s ruling will have no effect at all on the team’s ownership of and right to use the Redskins name and logo.

‘“We are confident we will prevail once again, and that the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board’s divided ruling will be overturned on appeal. This case is no different than an earlier case, where the Board cancelled the Redskins’ trademark registrations, and where a federal district court disagreed and reversed the Board.”’


50 posted on 06/18/2014 9:17:42 AM PDT by ConservingFreedom (A goverrnment strong enough to impose your standards is strong enough to ban them.)
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To: kristinn

I would think that the Redskins could take a casualty tax deduction in the mid-single-digit billions of dollars for this “taking”. It is unprecedented.


51 posted on 06/18/2014 9:23:57 AM PDT by Attention Surplus Disorder (At no time was the Obama administration aware of what the Obama administration was doing)
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To: Vigilanteman
What gives the United States Patent and Trademark Office the authority to cancel a registration which they duly issued more than a half-century ago?

Exactly. WTF?

We now have feral government.

The only rules are that you must submit.

52 posted on 06/18/2014 10:01:59 AM PDT by zeugma (It is time for us to start playing cowboys and muslims for real now.)
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To: TurboZamboni

Thanks for the reference to LibertyManiacs.com. They have some great stuff.

I think the “Irony is Jackson On a Central Bank Note Poster” would confuse most folks.


53 posted on 06/18/2014 10:36:51 AM PDT by zeugma (It is time for us to start playing cowboys and muslims for real now.)
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To: Vigilanteman
What gives the United States Patent and Trademark Office the authority to cancel a registration which they duly issued more than a half-century ago?

King Obama, the lord and master of all things, gives them the authority. There's no one who will stand in his way.

54 posted on 06/18/2014 10:39:20 AM PDT by Cementjungle
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To: kristinn

IIRC,Rush had a comment on this situation a week or two ago that was insightful........


55 posted on 06/18/2014 11:29:52 AM PDT by oldtech
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To: Vigilanteman

Exactly. And it’s based on a whim and something subjective like it’s “offensive.” Are the San Diego Padres offensive to Athiests? GI Joe with the Kung Fu grip offensive to Chinese pacifists? Where does it end? Completely Orwellian move. Snyder has to take this to court.


56 posted on 06/18/2014 11:34:22 AM PDT by Wyatt's Torch
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To: kristinn

outrageous government/obama abuse of power.


57 posted on 06/18/2014 11:34:51 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: kristinn

So is Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish next?

The whiners over the Redskins’ name haven’t fought this through. Naming a sports team after American Indians is “clearly” racist but naming a team after a bunch of white people isn’t. By favoring whites over Indians, they’re being racist.


58 posted on 06/18/2014 1:30:08 PM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity (Visualize whirled peas.)
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To: Fester Chugabrew
This reads like a Semmens post.

The first thing I did, was look for his name. It would not surprise me, however. Look at all the other things the Obungler administration has gotten away with. They probably ordered them to do this.

59 posted on 06/18/2014 2:17:43 PM PDT by Mark17 ( Rudyard Kipling: it is unhealthy, for scum bags to awaken the sleeping Saxon, and torque his jaws)
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To: Red Badger
Next up: Florida State Seminoles, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, Indian Motorcycle Company..................

Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Blackhawks. Don't forget all the state, county and city names, that come from Indian words (maybe I can't say that either) will need to be changed. We can't disparage any of them, right? /s

60 posted on 06/18/2014 2:29:17 PM PDT by Mark17 ( Rudyard Kipling: it is unhealthy, for scum bags to awaken the sleeping Saxon, and torque his jaws)
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