Patent revocation for Washington Redskins strictly a political witch hunt

The recent — and I do mean recent — offense taken by the team name of the Washington Redskins has resulted in the revocation of their patent trademark by the US Parent Office.  This move came only after the political left began to become offended, in an election year, and had been lobbying the team to give up their name.  They had claimed the name is so offensive, that it should be considered in like to other racial slurs.

Set aside for a moment that the team has been in existence for 82 years with the name.  Also set aside that the team logo was lobbied for, and submitted by the chairman of the Blackfeet Nation and president of the National Congress of American Indians.  it turns out that the US Patent Office had received zero complaints from the public about the team name before revoking the trademark.  Zero.

(Washington Times) — The recent decision by an obscure administrative law board to cancel the Washington Redskins‘ trademark registrations came despite the fact the agency hadn’t received a single letter from a member of the public complaining about the team’s name, records show.

The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, which is part of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, ruled last month that the name was disparaging to American Indians.

[…]

Politicians, including President Obama, have waded into the team name controversy, with many saying the team should change its name. But despite widespread media attention and a legal fight that goes back more than a decade, the USPTO recently acknowledged there’s hardly been an avalanche of public complaints filed with the agency.

In fact, the agency doesn’t have any record of correspondence from the public about the Redskins‘ name — expressing sentiments one way or another — prior to the board’s June 18 ruling.

We were told by the political left that the name was utterly offensive.  But how offensive could it have been if no one complained?  Could it have been a distraction?  Or is it just the feigned concern of progressives who have a desperate need to be seen ‘caring’?

This was literally a witch hunt by the government against a private entity.