Their home page has* a link titled Straight dope on reform, which naturally caught my eye. At that site they have a javascipt link title “GET THE STRAIGHT DOPE”. I half-expected a column by Cecil, or an offer to register for the SDMB (OK, not really).
Just thought you guys might want to know.
*had a link. You guys are quick. 
IAAI (I am an Idiot), but I’m pretty sure you can’t copyright a short phrase, such as “straight dope,” so CNN should be in the clear.
Much as I worship Cecil, surely he has no sole rights to the phrase ‘straight dope’? I thought it had been around long before the column started.
You’ll note that the top of your browser window bears a blue and orange logo proclaiming:
THE STRAIGHT DOPE®
You probably cannot copyright the phrase “The Straight Dope,” but you can trademark it. (If you look at the logo on the top of the page, you will see the small (R) indicating that it is indeed a registered trademark).
It appears that the Chicago Reader has trademarked “The Straight Dope” for:
Although this is not my field of practice, and I am not the Reader’s lawyer, if CNN has a web feature purporting to offer “the straight dope” on a subject, there may be grounds to send it a cease and desist letter or take other action.
Time for a nitpick - it actually says:
You’re both wrong. It’s actually:
THE STRAIGHT DOP®E
Well, nobody’s turned it ORANGE yet, so we’re all wrong.
We may be attentive, but we’re not anal
What the world needs now is The Straight Dope on The Straight Dope.
Pleeze.
“The Cincinnati Harold” has the tagline, “The Straight Dope from a Straight Dope.” I always wonder if the author is One Of Us.
Yes, but can he spell “Herald”? 
Well, yes, but the Herald sent Harold a cease and desist letter
:smack:
I shoulda googled first…
Mmmmm… SD on SD action. That is so hot.
Super Bowl?
Yeah, I think the point is familiar short phrase. As explained above though, these can be trademarked for use in specific areas, as Chicago Reader has done with SD both for internet and print arenas. (I note, however, that their television trademark for the phrase is now marked as dead in the official register.)
Trump tried to trademark “You’re fired” recently but I think a bunch of potteries were there first.
This post has been oranged by The Orangist!
Please don’t shoot me. Somebody hadda do it.
E.E. Smith’s Lensman series - written primarily in the 1940s if I’m not mistaken - was full of mentions of getting “the dope” and I believe even a few mentions of “the straight dope”.
The phrase is older than the newspaper column.
But not as old as some Dopers