"Washington Nationals" may be in jeopardy

[eddiejc1]

No, this time I am not going into my hair-tearing paranoid
rants about how MLB or the D.C. Council are going to screw things
up and take the Nats away from us. I do not mean that the franchise
is in jeopardy. But if what
I read on another blog is true the name "Washington
Nationals" may be jeopardized.

Many D.C. fans have waited several years hoping that baseball
would finally move the Expos here. One guy did more than wait.
He either trademarked the name "Washington Nationals" or the
domain of the same name. He's been selling generic T-shirts with
this name for some time now. (I remember seeing these ads on
either the Washington Times or the D.C. Examiner---can't remember
which paper, though.) He's been engaged in a trademark infringement
suit against the Nats, and according to the Beltway Guys, this guy won
a judgement against the baseball team. If it stand, it could force the
Nats to pay this guy a ransom for the rights to the name or change
the name to something like "Senators" to avoid it. I hope this isn't
true, because I have grown to like "Nationals" more and more, and I
would hate to see them give up this name, especially for a predatory
scumbag like this guy.

Eddie Cunningham

[Peorgie T]

I imagine there will be some sort of settlement. If the Nats were to change their name, his trademark would be worthless.

[wilkerson_rulz-06]

No, this time I am not going into my hair-tearing paranoid
rants about how MLB or the D.C. Council are going to screw things
up and take the Nats away from us. I do not mean that the franchise
is in jeopardy. But if what
I read on another blog is true the name "Washington
Nationals" may be jeopardized.

Many D.C. fans have waited several years hoping that baseball
would finally move the Expos here. One guy did more than wait.
He either trademarked the name "Washington Nationals" or the
domain of the same name. He's been selling generic T-shirts with
this name for some time now. (I remember seeing these ads on
either the Washington Times or the D.C. Examiner---can't remember
which paper, though.) He's been engaged in a trademark infringement
suit against the Nats, and according to the Beltway Guys, this guy won
a judgement against the baseball team. If it stand, it could force the
Nats to pay this guy a ransom for the rights to the name or change
the name to something like "Senators" to avoid it. I hope this isn't
true, because I have grown to like "Nationals" more and more, and I
would hate to see them give up this name, especially for a predatory
scumbag like this guy.

Eddie Cunningham

No comment. Too many painful things in there .

[eddiejc1]

Apparently, this isn't a joke.

Bygone Sports granted trademark to "Washington Nationals"

Eddie Cunningham

[runningshoes]

Founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Bygone's principal market strategy is to identify, resurrect and commercialize long-abandoned, historic sports team names, placing them on sportswear, apparel, and other merchandise, and to offer them for license in connection with other applications.

And they did this two years before the Expos announced they were moving to Washington?

This doesn't look good.

[Uncle Dak]

When the Expos moved here, and named the Nationals, there was other speculation that once MLB sold the team to an owner, the owner could likely change the uniforms and the name.

[Bob Hannah]

And they did this two years before the Expos announced they were moving to Washington?

It was speculation on their part and they may have come up a winner. It wasn't unusual for web addresses to be registered with various names regarding a D.C. team. The owner would squat on the address in hopes it would be bought out by MLB. The firm only markets one shirt and its pretty generic.

[eddiejc1]

Although I was one of many (most?) Washington baseball fans hoping that the team would be called "Senators", I will be very disappointed if they have to change their name---even if they become "Senators" again.

Eddie Cunningham

[efin98]

Founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Bygone's principal market strategy is to identify, resurrect and commercialize long-abandoned, historic sports team names, placing them on sportswear, apparel, and other merchandise, and to offer them for license in connection with other applications.

The company isn't as sneaky or shifty as first thought.

Frankly, it's their right to do what they are doing. Anyone has the right to buy the trademark after it expires, and that company did. The only one who would be to blame would be the former owner of the trademark: the Twins organization. They probably owned the trademark and let it lapse, unknowing that this would eventually be the outcome.

*Edit: the "Washington Senators" is not available either. It's owned by someone out in Ohio. The team may be forced to either pay off the company that owns the "Washington Nationals" name or change their name to something else entirely- DC Grays anyone?

[538280]

It really wouldn't bother me so much if they changed the name Nationals. I have taken somewhat of a liking to the name but after only one year I don't think it would be a huge restart to change the name. I personally like the name Cannons. I belive there was (or maybe is) a long time minor league organization somewhere around Washington that had that name.

[Bob Hannah]

It really wouldn't bother me so much if they changed the name Nationals. I have taken somewhat of a liking to the name but after only one year I don't think it would be a huge restart to change the name. I personally like the name Cannons. I belive there was (or maybe is) a long time minor league organization somewhere around Washington that had that name.

The Potomac Cannons, now the Potomac Nationals, a Nationals single A affiliate, play in Woodbridge, about 25 miles south of D.C.

[Peorgie T]

They'll settle. MLB doesn't want to suffer the expense and embarassment of changing the name, and Bygone knows that if they did change the name, they'd (in the words of Judge Smalls) get nothing and like it.

[efin98]

They'll settle. MLB doesn't want to suffer the expense and embarassment of changing the name, and Bygone knows that if they did change the name, they'd (in the words of Judge Smalls) get nothing and like it.

That's true. Probably a decent priced liscensing fee and exclusive rights to seel Bygone's t-shirts alongside all other Nationals memorabelia.

[Peorgie T]

That's true. Probably a decent priced liscensing fee and exclusive rights to seel Bygone's t-shirts alongside all other Nationals memorabelia.

I don't think Bygone has any interest in selling t-shirts. They just want money from MLB.

[TXRangersFan]

*Edit: the "Washington Senators" is not available either. It's owned by someone out in Ohio.

Are you sure about that? It was my understanding that the Rangers still owned the rights to the Senators name.