NFL’s Washington franchise retired the nickname “Redskins” as well as the Native American logo, which has led to fans wondering what will the team call themselves this season and beyond. There are some trademark and legal issues Washington has to figure out, and it looks like one man could be in the way of Washington announcing its new team name and logo. Philip Martin McCaulay, a 61-year old man from Virginia, is a noted “trademark squatter” who has registered trademarks for multiple team nicknames over years. He’s a Washington fan and is hoping to score a “bounty” from team owner Dan Snyder if the team even makes a name change, according to report from The Washington Post in 2015. However, McCaulay went to Twitter to clarify his position in the team’s name-changing situation.
“I wish they would tell me what I need to do to get out of their way to change the name if I am some obstacle,” McCaulay wrote. “I want them to change the name and am embarrassed if I did anything that slows that down. I thought if I hoarded all the good names that would keep someone else who might be a pain in the neck from getting them.” McCaulay said he emailed NFL trademark attorneys on July 4. He hasn’t heard back from the NFL or Washington but is ready to negotiate. He also said there are four names Washington could use moving forward.
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“There are really only four viable options if this is going to be done before starting the 2020 season,” McCaulay wrote. Those four names are Americans, Red Tails, Renegades and RedHawks. All four names are trademarked by McCaulay for apparel and football games. One of the names being considered is Warriors, a trademark McCaulay doesn’t own. However, McCaulay doesn’t believe Snyder will adopt Warriors for his team.
“I do not own a trademark for Washington Warriors,” McCaulay stated. “I applied in 2015 and it was suspended. Mr. Snyder does not want it, because he could have registered a trademark for Warriors in 2020, but he abandoned on purpose by not responding to USPTO letters asking if he still wanted it.” The Redskins name has been a part of the franchise since 1933. The team dropped the named due to pressure from fans and sponsors, including FedEx, the corporate sponsor who has its name on the home stadium.
