Washington Redskins Trademark Revoked: What Does It Mean for the Team?

Monica Riva Talley was quoted in an article in ABC News discussing the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) decision to revoke the Washington Redskins’ federal trademark. The USPTO’s ruling stated that the team’s name is “disparaging of Native Americans.”

“This decision does not mean that the Redskins trademark is no longer enforceable, or that third parties will now be able to sell Redskins merchandise,” Ms. Talley said, the team still owns enforceable common law trademark rights in the name based on its decades of use. While the trademark remains enforceable, Ms. Talley noted the ruling may “sway public opinion as to whether a sports team, much less one located in the nation’s capital, should use a term found to disparage a segment of the population.”

To read the full article, visit abcnews.com