April 27, 2010; Source: Austin American-Statesman | They already fought one war over the Alamo and now another could break out over who has the right to make money off the name of the most famous Texas historical site. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas have filed a federal trademark application that would give the nonprofit control over the Alamo name, including the ability to charge a licensing fee.
State officials, who oppose the move, are considering whether to block the application. Since 1905, the Daughters have been the state’s official caretaker of the Alamo, where a group of 200 settlers—including Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie—died fighting the Mexican Army in 1836. “If anyone should trademark the Alamo, it should be the people who have been running it for 105 years,” said Patti Atkins, president general of the Daughters. “This is not that big of a deal. There are no issues here, at all. We’re just looking for ways to raise money for the Alamo.”
Because of objections from some groups, the matter is under review by Gov. Rick Perry, whose office, according to the Austin American-Statesman, has sole authority over the matter. The Daughters claim what they are doing is nothing more than a “good business decision”, and if they get control over the name, it would allow them to make money off of it just as other companies and groups do that sell trademarked products. “You can buy a Tony Dorsett T-shirt from Wal-Mart or you can go buy the real deal from the NFL. It’s kind of like that,” Atkins said. “There are a bunch of people who use the Alamo name, and we’re not trying to limit that . . . We’re just trying to do some good business practices.”—Bruce Trachtenberg
