Washington Redskins Nickname “Disparaging.” U.S. Patent Office Cancels Trademark

The Trademark over the "Redskins" is cancelled by the U.S. Patent Office. Earlier today the U.S. Patent Office voted and canceled the trademark due to "Redskins" being "disparaging of Native Americans."

This does not mean that the Washington Redskins have to stop using the nickname, however it opens the opportunity for people to freely use the name without having permission. This could include using the name to make more merchandise without having the permission of the NFL or the team.

The team is not going to be forced to change the name due to this decision, however there is a great chance that they will lose revenue from not having the trademark. With the Redskins tied into the NFL, the NFL as a league would also lose money.

The Washington Redskins organization will probably look to appeal the ruling, which would extend the process, to protect their trademark. If the ruling is upheld, the Redskins would lose that protected revenue.

For more information regarding the cancellation of the trademark, click here.