By Shondiin Silversmith | Arizona Republic
A Supreme Court decision to strike down bans on trademarks seen as immoral or scandalous has implications in a fight over a Washington NFL team name.
The Washington Redskins name has been at the center of trademark lawsuits for decades, including a suit brought by Arizona Native American activist Amanda Blackhorse.
Blackhorse and four other Native American plaintiffs wanted the trademarks of the team canceled under a provision in the Lanham Act which prohibits registration of marks that may disparage persons or bring them into contempt or disrepute. On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that the Act’s prohibition of immoral or scandalous trademark registrations violates the First Amendment.
This new ruling reinforced prior Supreme Court rulings in the team’s favor.
