Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 26
Commanders Sell $49.99 Redskins Gear to Preserve Trademark Rights
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 26

Commanders Sell $49.99 Redskins Gear to Preserve Trademark Rights

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 26

Summary

  • $49.99 throwback T-shirts and $114.99 retired-player jerseys bearing the Redskins name and logo are being sold in the Commanders' team shop and online.
  • The club told WUSA9 the sales are meant to keep the old marks in commercial use so the franchise retains control of the Redskins trademark.
  • Under the Lanham Act, three consecutive years of nonuse can be evidence of abandonment, though trademark law also requires bona fide use in ordinary trade rather than token sales.
  • The limited Mitchell & Ness line revives branding the team dropped in 2020, even as owner Josh Harris said in 2023 the franchise would not return to the Redskins name.

Insights

Could a legal loophole be forcing a sports franchise to sell divisive merchandise just to protect their empire?
Who really profits when a retired mascot is resurrected solely for the sake of trademark preservation?