TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Amelia Ferrell Knisely on Dec 29, 2015

A U.S. Court of Appeals ruling that says the government cannot reject trademarks it deems offensive to others could help the Washington Redskins defend the team's own trademark protections. The Federal Circuit court’s ruling comes in a case involving an American-Asian band, The Slants, whose application to trademark its name was rejected by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The court said banning offensive trademarks violates the First Amendment. The Redskins are currently appealing the government’s pending withdrawal of its trademark protection. Read more from The Washington Post.