Disco Volante

NFL orders shops to stop selling 'Who Dat' gear

How do you claim an international symbol that's been around longer than America, and a phrase invented by the residents of a city?

Ridiculous greed, forcing small business to stop selling T-shirts with a phrase the town created.

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blackglass3

It's getting worse and worse...did the NFL not make enough money this year between what they make from advertising, the exclusivity deals with Reebok and EA Sports (and I am sure other companies I don't know off the top of my head), and the other billions of merchandising deals they have in place? Now they actually feel the need to profit off of a saying the Saints fans and players like to chant? It's disgusting.

FortressX

Don't be mean to the NFL.
Let's just all be excited looking forward to "The Big Game".

upstater1

Fleur de lis = NOT NFL property
Who Dat = NOT NFL property
Fleur de lis + Who Dat = NOT NFL property
Gold&Black Fleur de lis = Maybe NFL property?

blackglass3

Hmm...Lil' Wayne was prosecuted by NY and will be going to jail soon. Lil Wayne has a fleur de lis tattooed on his cheek. Roger Goodell is a lawyer who lives in NY.

Theorum: Lil Wayne is going to jail for not heeding the NFL's Cease and Desist order about removing the Fleur De Lis before being on television, record, or photographed; seeing how that is NFL Property.

The gun charges are a cover up...I might be on to something here.

Seymour93

The No Fun League strikes again.

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Gwedd

The crux of the matter is the "gold & black" Fleur des Lis symbol. All the T-shirt hawkers have to do is modify the Fleur-des-lis design slightly from that which the Saints use, and they'll be back in business.

The motive driving these C&D orders is the requirement that a business, any business, MUST act in a positive manner to protect copyright and trademark, and other intellectual property, or risk having them lose their proprietary ownership and the item(s) in question become free for anyone to use.

Brono

I wonder if the Saints should move to a more unique, visually distinct logo, like many other NFL teams?

sebman2112

If it's the Fleur des Lis symbol, exactly as the Saints have designed their logo, than it is in fact copyright infringement. If the shirt simply said "Who Dat", then I don't think the league would be able to do anything, as I don't believe they have that particular phrase copyrighted. Then again, Paris Hilton has the copyright to a phrase that was around before she was born, so the NFL execs might have claimed the phrase. It would be a pretty pathetic move on their part, but it wouldn't be the first time they've pulled something like that, either.

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Tunescribe

No, but it's terrible grammar.

The NFL is going after "intent," and that's really hard to argue with. It's obvious that anyone combining the fleur de lis in black or gold with "Who Dat" on a shirt is selling a Saints item.