Judge upholds Redskins trademark cancellation

(Image credit: Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

published 8 July 2015

On Wednesday, a federal judge in northern Virginia decided to uphold last summer's cancellation of the Washington Redskins' trademark registration, marking a substantial "legal and symbolic setback" for the NFL team in the fight to retain its mascot, the Washington Post reports.

For more than two decades, the Redskins have been fighting to keep the trademark on their controversial name, which has faced strong opposition from Native Americans for its racial implications. Last summer, the federal Trademark Trial and Appeal Board voted in favor of that opposition, declaring that the name is indeed offensive to Native Americans and therefore ineligible for recognized status in the federal trademark registry.

While Wednesday's ruling won't produce any immediate results — the cancellation won't be effective until the team exhausts the appeals process in the federal court system — it does signify a big loss for the team. However, even if the case goes to the Supreme Court, the Redskins could file for trademark protections within state laws.