Redskins appeal ruling that voided trademarks
By Steve Ginsburg WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Washington Redskins filed an appeal on Thursday to overturn a U.S. government tribunal decision that canceled the NFL team's trademarks because the panel considered the name and logo disparaging to Native Americans. In a 2-1 decision, a Patent and Trademark Office administrative tribunal voted in June to cancel six trademarks. The Redskins appealed the ruling to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. "We believe that the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ignored both federal case law and the weight of the evidence, and we look forward to having a federal court review this obviously flawed decision," Bob Raskopf, trademark attorney for the Redskins, said in a statement. The ruling does not mean that the trademarks can no longer be used by the National Football League franchise, only that they are no longer registered. The trademark protection remains until appeals are exhausted. Redskins owner Daniel Snyder has said the team honors Native Americans and has vowed never to change the name.
