You bring up a lot of great points and shed a lot of light on this issue. It kind of reminds me of military contracts that go over budget. The corporations always claim it's not their fault, and the politicians always blow some steam before agreeing to pay more, and the media always complains about the waste for a news cycle, but no one changes anything and the taxpayers always foot the bill.

One might imagine it's all theater and it is always intended to bilk taxpayers. It is taxpayers, after all, who will pay these trademark fees, and they will pay for them again next time these venues change hands. In that light it looks like quite the scam.
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