A District judge upheld the trademark board holding the R-skins name and logo are not eligible for federal trademark protection since name is disparaging. He referenced a recent Supreme Court decision allowing Texas to refuse to print Confederate flags on license plates. Dan Snyder and his lawyer claim this is an infringement of freedom of speech but the judge maintains that the First amendment does not apply to government speech..ie. actions government takes to protect or promote symbols and logos. Mr. Snyder will appeal, of course, but the pressure mounts against his stubbornness. See http://wapo.st/1S8xOTL for an account of the trademark case. The editorial board of the Washington Post called for Mr. Snyder to change the name one day after the District Judge's ruling; see http://wapo.st/1Hit0sb . Enough is enough, Mr. Snyder. Common decency dictates that you must change the name now!
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Once again, the Interior Department takes a strong stand against racism. In the early 1960s, the Interior Department of the Kennedy Administration informed George Preston Marshall, owner of the DC football team, that they would not renew the lease on federal land beneath Griffith Stadium until Marshall integrates his team. Marshall was the last NFL owner to integrate his team.
The Obama Administration's Interior Department informed the DC Mayor and the pro football team that it would not grant a lease on federal land beneath RFK if the pro football team wanted to move back to the RFK site. The name would have to change. This is a bold stand. Hopefully, it is one more pressure point to persuade Mr. Snyder to change the name. See http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/digger/wp/2015/07/01/obama-administration-rebuffs-d-c-s-efforts-to-bring-back-the-redskins/?hpid=z4. |
AuthorJosh Silver is one of the founders of RWF and is a life time fan that wants the name changed! Archives
February 2022
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