A federal judge upheld a prior decision canceling the Washington Redskins’ federal trademark registrations in a Northern Virginia court Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee upheld the Trademark Trial and Appeals Board’s 2014 2-1 ruling that, “the team’s moniker is offensive to Native Americans and therefore ineligible under the Lanham Act for status in the federal trademark registry.”
While the trademark registration has been cancelled, the team is allowed under law to continue using the logo and moniker until the end of the federal appeals process, but, “even if the Redskins ultimately take the case to the Supreme Court and lose, the team can still use ‘Redskins’ and seek trademark protections under state law.”
According to a spokesman for the team, they are currently weighing further legal options, but Jesse Witten — an attorney for the American Indians opposing the team — called the decision a, “huge victory. Getting this ruling from a U.S. District judge is a watershed event. The team has been fighting this case so hard and leaving no stone unturned and scorching every square inch of earth that it’s hard to imagine they will not appeal.”
[h/t: Washington Post]