Never one to bring subtlety to a debate, Republican Rep. Steve King took to Twitter Wednesday evening to weigh in on the debate surrounding the name of the Washington Redskins.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Wednesday morning canceled six U.S. trademark registrations for the D.C.-based NFL team, calling the name "disparaging to Native Americans," which prompted this response from the Iowa Republican:
Predictably, the Twitterverse was quick to respond:
With regard to Wednesday's decision by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Bob Raskopf, trademark attorney for the Redskins, said he is confident the decision will be overturned on appeal based on prior hearings.
The trademarks at issue will remain on the federal register and not be listed as “canceled” until after judicial review is complete. Meanwhile, Pro Football Inc., owner of the involved registrations, will lose legal benefits of the trademarks if an appeal is not filed or if cancellation is affirmed after possible review by a federal court.
Additional reporting by Michele Richinick.