U.S. Patent Office cancels Redskins trademark

Jun 18, 2014 - 4:49 PM Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has canceled six federal trademark registrations of the Washington Redskins, calling the football team's nickname "disparaging to Native Americans."

The USPTO announced its 2-1 ruling on Wednesday.

Bob Raskopf, the trademark attorney for the Redskins, said the team will appeal the ruling. The team's trademark registrations will remain valid during the appeal process.

Five Native Americans filed a complaint to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board in 2006, and a hearing was held in March 2013.

It was the second time such a case was filed. The board also canceled the registrations in 1999, but a federal judge overturned that decision in 2003.

"We are confident we will prevail once again, and that the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board's divided ruling will be overturned on appeal," Raskopf said in his statement. "This case is no different than an earlier case, where the Board cancelled the Redskins' trademark registrations, and where a federal district court disagreed and reversed the Board."

Raskopf expects a similar outcome.

"The evidence in the current claim is virtually identical to the evidence a federal judge decided was insufficient more than ten years ago," Raskopf said in the statement.

Redskins owner Dan Snyder has remained defiant in the face of pleas to change the team name.