Submission + - Who dat say you gotta cease and desist? (neworleans.com)
margaret writes: Now that hell has frozen over and the New Orleans Saints are amazingly good, the NFL has decided to start issuing cease and desist letters for use of the fleur-de-lis, a symbol dating back to the 12th century which has long been ubiquitous in Louisiana culture. Hell, it's on the official city flag. And Quebec's flag too — is the NFL going to go after the Canadians next? Even the guy with the "Who Dat" trademark thinks it's bogus. From the article: "They're not just protecting their marks; that's an attempt to make an example of a small business owner. And the irony of it all is that the NFL doesn't own Who Dat or the fleur de lis — neither one!... Sure, a fleur de lis can belong to the Saints, but in very specific usage, and everybody knows what that is," Monistere explained. "If you go back to 1967, to date, they have registered and used the fleur de lis in a very specific way. They put it on the Saints helmet and on the Saints shield. Its colors are very specific — they're old gold and black. But for the NFL to expand that definition and say that no matter what color and what style of fleur de lis, if you put it on an item, it means Saints, it is, as many believe, is just not correct. The fleur de lis belongs to everyone including the people of New Orleans."
