A Federal judge canceled the The Washington Redskins’ trademark registration after after agreeing with the US Patent Office’s finding that the NFL team’s name and logo are disparaging against Native Americans. This is good news, but unfortunately it won’t really limit the football organization from profiting from the racist name and logo.
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. The team has argued, however, that a cancellation of its trademarks could taint its brand and remove legal benefits that would protect it against copycat entrepreneurs.