WASHINGTON — The Washington Commanders are at it again. This time, it has nothing to do with the investigation. It's about the dates on their new logo.
Those dates are 1983, 1988 and 1992. Those are the actual years the Commanders won the Super Bowl. Now the team wants to replace those dates with Roman numerals, but the NFL said no.
It all started when the team released its new crest with the years it won the Super Bowl, not the season. That goes against the way the NFL tracks Super Bowls. Fans are upset and the Commanders are trying to right the wrong by making the switch.
However, the NFL controls the use of Super Bowl marks. It's considered intellectual property.
The team could change the years without using Roman numerals, for example from 1992 to 1991 -- the season Washington won a Super Bowl. But there's another problem.
The team may have to file a new trademark application.
According to the Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure, Rule 807.14 states that you can't make a "material alteration" to a mark after application.
According to trademark attorney Josh Gerben, the cost to refile a trademark application is minimal, but there's no word yet on whether the logo will be changed.