In a statement about the decision, the patent office said the petitioners proved that “the term ‘Redskins’ was disparaging of Native Americans, when used in relation to professional football services, at the times the various registrations involved in the cancellation proceeding were issued.”
As a result, the agency said, “the federal registrations for the ‘Redskins’ trademarks involved in this proceeding must be cancelled.”
Explaining the decision’s immediate effects, the agency said its review board “determines only whether a mark can be registered with the federal government (and thus gain the additional legal benefits thereof), not whether it can be used.”
The trademarks in question date back to the 1960s and ’70s. The Washington, D.C., team lost a similar trademark case in the late 1990s, only to have its registration reinstated by a U.S. district court in 2003. It is almost certain the team will appeal the agency’s latest decision.