Washington Football Team Trademark Application Tackled For A Loss

The Washington Football Team's request for a trademark was denied after the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office found a similar trademark already exists.

The trademark “Washington Football Club,” which was granted to Philip McCaulay of Virginia in 2015, already exists and the office's refusal cites the team's use would likely cause "consumers be confused, mistaken, or deceived as to the commercial source of the goods and/or services of the parties."

McCaulay is the legal owner of the "Washington Football Club" trademark and owns dozens of others with potential team nicknames, USA Today reports.

Sensing the franchise one day would drop the controversial “Redskins” nickname it has used since 1933, McCaulay applied for trademarks to numerous names that he believed would be possibilities for the team, the article states.

He has been criticized as a being "trademark hog" and told ABC News last year that he offered the National Football League dozens of free trademarks for possible DC team names.

USA Today reports the team has six months to initiate a response to the refusal or the application will be abandoned — the team can either ask for a withdrawal, delete the class to which the refusal pertains or submitting evidence and arguments against the refusal.