Photo by Fred King
A group of U.S. House members are offering a bill that would strip the Washington football team of the trademark it holds over its official name. The legislation comes on the heels of a loud debate over the team’s use of a racial slur as its name, as well as a new case before a federal trademark board in which the plaintiffs are attempting to prevent the Washington football team from cashing in on all reproductions of its name and logo.
The bill, called the “Non-Disparagement of Native American Persons in Trademark Registrations Act of 2013,” would end the Washington football team’s current trademark and prohibit any future trademarks that use a derogatory term to refer to Native Americans. It is written by Del. Eni Faleomavaega (D-American Samoa), The Washington Post reports. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), who is among many prominent voices who have recently expressed their support for changing the team’s name, is a co-sponsor, as are Reps. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Karen Bass (D-Calif.)
But, the Post reports, the bill has no guarantee of moving through the legislative grinder:
There is no guarantee that the measure will even receive a committee hearing in the House, much less a vote. But it comes at a sensitive time: Earlier this month in Alexandria, a three-judge panel on the federal Trademark Trial and Appeal Board heard arguments over whether the term Redskins should be considered a slur and therefore not worthy of trademark protection.
That the bill is backed by four Democrats—two of whom do not have full voting rights—doesn’t sound encouraging in a Republican-led House. However, there is bipartisan support for finding a new name for the Washington football team. In January, Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), who is also a member of the Chickasaw Nation, said he finds the team’s name “deeply offensive” and that it should be changed.
