I heard a guy from up north call in to the local Sports Radio Talk Show the other day. He says he finds the name "Yankees" disparaging and was wondering if he should sue.
One wonders if the cost of seeking trademark protection for a Name, which is later found to be disparaging and therefore, no longer receives trademark protection, can be written off as a loss. (But I suggest we wait for the verdict from the Court of Appeals).
Also, I think the consensus is that the name/word "Indian" would not have any issues. That is a proper name attached to a class of people. If you recall, Christopher Columbus was searching for a short-cut sailing/trade route to the "East Indies," which is basically south and southeast Asia, including India. His short-cut idea was to sail west. He never did reach the "East Indies" as we know. He ran into a bunch of islands in the Caribbean, which has been termed the "West Indies." And, owing to the close proximity of the Caribbean to the "Americas," those native to those lands were called "American Indians," or "Indians" for short. So, this is why we have "Indians" in America and "Indians" in India.