Obama stiff-arms Constitution: Admin lawyers fight ‘Redskins’ trademark

[Geee]

Washington Times:

The Washington Redskins’ name is commercial speech and isn’t the kind of free expression protected by the First Amendment, the Obama administration told a federal court this week in defending a ruling that has stripped the football team of trademark protections.

 

The team’s name itself is not at stake, but if the trademark is canceled the name becomes less valuable because the owners would struggle to enforce their trademark against anyone who wanted to use the name or Indian logo on their own merchandise.

 

In a filing Monday, the Justice Department defended the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board’s decision last year to strip the team of protections.

 

“Not only do trademarks function only minimally as a vehicle for expression, but trademark registration also involves the necessary participation of the government in approving that registration, which confers relaxed First Amendment review even when combined with the speech of a private party,” the Obama lawyers said.

[Cyber_Liberty]

Hmmm. What would a devious person like me do, if I were the owner of the football team?

 

The liberals all claim to hate the name and the logo, so I think I'd give the logo away. Screw the money for the logo rights: Tell anybody and everybody they can use it for whatever they want, wherever they want, and promise to never prosecute if the trademark ever comes back. Let the logo spread far and wide, it'll only PO the liberals who really want to erase the image. Then come up with another logo.