Last week the NFL franchise that plays football near — but not in — our Nation’s Capital, was dealt another significant legal and public relations blow that would have any rational brand owner working overtime on its re-branding efforts.
Professor Christine Haight Farley, at American University’s Washington College of Law, summarizes the Amanda Blackhorse
– Draeke Weseman, Weseman Law Office, PLLC
Now the dilemma…what to name the place. Simple. What else brings a gleam to men’s eyes everywhere besides beer, chicken wings and an occasional winning football season? Hence the name Hooters. Supposedly they were into owls. Strange.
— Hooters
This NFL season, civil rights advocates continue to make
It’s no secret that the NFL is facing a reputation crisis, on a variety of fronts. With 2013 being called “a very bad year” for the NFL, words will be difficult to describe how badly 2014 ends (reputationally), if the league continues on its current path of self-destruction.
A common thread to
My father-daughter time was wonderful in London when the news hit about the USPTO ordering cancellation of the six “Washington Redskins” trademarks as disparaging to Native Americans.
Thanks for your patience in waiting for my perspective on the subject — you know I’m thrilled if you know me well, if you know of my
As many anxiously await the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board’s (TTAB) decision in Blackhorse v. Pro Football, Inc., a trademark cancellation action seeking to revoke six federal service mark registrations containing the R-Word (issued between 1967 and 1990), the pressure is mounting for the NFL team located near our Nation’s Capital to stop
The possibility of a long overdue name change for the Washington Redskins is trending on Bing at the moment.
I’m glad to see the pressure continue to mount. I’ve always said, it is only a matter of time, hopefully sooner than later.
Check out the coverage on the Huffington Post, WUSA, Christian Science
–Dan Kelly, Attorney
Last week, the North Dakota Supreme Court issued an opinion in a suit relating to the University of North Dakota’s use of the name FIGHTING SIOUX and related imagery. This opinion was the latest installment in a long-running matter, the history of which I will not get into in detail–the opinion recites
Earlier this month, I noted Accenture’s words in publicly ending its relationship with Tiger Woods, having announced around December 13, 2009, that it would "immediately transition" to a new ad campaign, and then compared those words to the company’s actions in continuing to run the Tiger Woods airport ads even three weeks after their termination announcement. Right
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the requested appeal of Harjo v. Pro-Football, Inc., the nearly two-decade old trademark case seeking cancellation of the U.S. Trademark Registrations owned by the NFL franchise in the Nation’s Capitol. In doing so, the highest Court in the land, has permitted the laches ruling to stand. Basically, permitting dismissal of the action given
Back in May, I wrote a piece entitled “Re-Branding Madness in Washington” Overlooks Obvious: The Washington Redskins,” discussing the trademark cancellation action that I filed on behalf of seven prominent Native American leaders back in September 1992 (Harjo et al v. Pro-Football, Inc.), and calling for the football team to “hire a branding