The nationwide chorus to change the name of the Washington Redskins name has gotten deafening.
The momentum has only increased in strength and ferocity now that the U.S. government has stepped in. President Obama remarked last year he would change the name if he owned the team. Then a group representing Native Americans put together a powerful and poignant commercial condemning the use of the “Redskins” name.
On Wednesday, June 18, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has announced it has officially canceled the Washington Redskins trademark registration.It is an almost unprecedented and extremely rare move the office said it made because the name is disparaging to Native Americans.
This is an unequivocal and undeniable blow to arrogant owner Daniel Snyder’s resolute stance to never change the name under any circumstances.
Trademarks that disparage or belittle other groups are not permited under federal law. The ruling Wednesday pertains to six different trademarks containing the word “Redskin.”
Native American groups have been fighting the football team, its owners and sponsors for decades, to change the name.
The decision can be reviewed by a federal court. The ruling does not mean that the trademarks can no longer be used by the NFL club, only that they are no longer registered, the statement said.
This is the second time the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board has faced a petition to cancel these registrations. The first was in 1992.
Twitter exploded when news of the cancellation of the Redskins trademark was announced. Take a look at the raging debate online: