Commanders' Trademark Denied; New Name on the Horizon?

The Washington Commanders may need another rebrand after their Commanders trademark application was denied.

On Feb. 2, 2022, the Washington Football Team officially became the Washington Commanders. 

Now, over a year later, the Commanders may be heading toward another name change. 

On Wednesday, Trademark Attorney Josh Gerben first reported on Twitter that Washington had its trademark application for the name 'Commanders' denied by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The letter sent to Washington said that the application was denied for two reasons; 1. The "Commanders' Classic," which is the annual football game between Army and Air Force. 2. Previous trademarks for the Washington Space Commanders and Washington Wolf Commanders were made by a man named Martin McCaulay, who lives in DC. 

Gerben said there is a viable path for Washington to obtain the trademark for Commanders. They could file a response stating the team name likely won't be confused with a single game, then buying out the rights from McCauly or reaching an agreement with him to, which Gerben reports he's open to doing. 

While the Commanders could go through that process, Pro Football Talk wonders if the best move is for Washington's new owner to have the franchise undergo another rebrand.

"The separate question is whether new ownership will want to," PFT writes of the new owner keeping the name. "The best move could be to make a clean break from All Things Snyder, and a full rebrand could be part of that effort."

The next steps will depend on the new owner and their plans for the franchise. Should they choose to change the name again, a good start would be to find a name without a trademark.

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