Redskins may have to battle Washington trademark squatter

When the Washington Redskins eventually change the name of the team, they may have to go through a man by the name of Martin McCaulay. Dating back to 2015, McCaulay has been squatting on potential names for the team, via applications filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

“I can really see into the future on this issue,” McCaulay told FOX5 in May of 2015. “Now when I look into the future, I see no change for ten years, and then in ten years, I see the name changing to the Washington Warriors. And if not the Warriors, then the Americans.”

As of 2015, McCaulay owned the following names: Americans, Bravehearts, Federals, Forces, Founders, Gladiators, Monuments, Natives, Pandas, Pigskins, Red-Tailed Hawks, Renegades, Sharks, Veterans, and Tribe.

Now, with a name change imminent, McCaulay has started to file for more Washington based team names. According to Pro Football Talk, McCaulay has recently filed applications for the following trademarks: Washington Redtails (July 7 and July 5), Washington Monuments (July 6), Washington Veterans (July 6), Washington Renegades (July 6), Washington Red-Tailed Hawks (July 4), and Washington Americans (June 18).

In order to file for a trademark, you need to show an intention to actually use that trademark. For McCaulay, this means buying shirts, calendars, hats, coasters, backpacks, duffel bags, coffee mugs and even foam fingers for his trademarked names. He sells this merchandise on his website, which can be found here.

According to Sam Fortier of the Washington Post, the name "Redwolves" has gained serious traction, with defensive lineman Jonathan Allen and NFL free agent Will Compton -- who previously played for Washington -- among those in favor of the name. A fan petition for the Redskins-to-Redwolves name change has also received more than 3,500 signatures, according to Fortier.

“Redwolves” (is) gaining serious traction in Washington," Fortier wrote in a tweet. "DL Jonathan Allen hyped the name on Twitch, Compton did below and the fan petition supporting it just passed 3,500 signatures. Redwolves are an endangered species native to Southeastern U.S., as well as a past support squad for Navy SEALs."

Wrote Compton: "I’d want to come back to Washington for one day and retire a Red Wolf. GOD what a name! Shoutout the Washington fans pushing for this to happen."

In the past, Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder has been steadfast in his stance that the team wouldn’t be changing its name. Snyder said he “would never change the name” back in 2013. However, according to Pro Football Talk, a source with knowledge of the situation said that FedEx’s CEO Fred Smith had been trying to get Snyder to change the name for “years.” On top of that, Smith and fellow minority owner Dwight Schar had actively been trying to sell their pieces of the team, but to no avail.

Washington isn't the only professional sports franchise with Native American imagery that is facing pressure to change its name amid the current climate. The Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball released a statement last Thursday regarding the possibility the franchise also changing its name. The franchise has been known as the Indians since 1915. The team was previously known as the Cleveland Naps (1903-14), Cleveland Broncos (1902), Cleveland Bluebirds (1901) and Cleveland Lake Shores (1900). In the past week, a review has been underway by both those in charge of the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Indians to change the names of the teams.