One in the win column, but battle goes on

The National Football League’s Washington Redskins lost their latest legal fight, but the team’s lengthy battle over the use of its name, deemed offensive by many, especially Native Americans, appears to be far from over.

The latest in the saga occurred on July 8, when a federal judge in the U.S. ruled to cancel the team’s trademark name and logo.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia ruled the Washington team name and logo may disparage Native Americans.

Brian Cladoosby, the president of the National Congress of American Indians, welcomed the decision.

“It’s time to end the harmful legacy of perpetuating racist stereotypes that in no way honor our diverse cultural heritage,” Cladsoosby said in a statement. “The federal courts have recognized that the use of the R-word is offensive and degrading to our identity as Native people.”

It did not take long, however, to realize this issue is far from over. That’s because the Washington franchise issued a statement the same day.

“I am surprised by the judge’s decision to prevent us from presenting our evidence in an open trial,” Bruce Allen, the president of the Washington squad, said in a news release. “We look forward to winning an appeal after a fair and impartial review of the case. We are convinced that we will win because the facts and the law are on the side of our franchise that has proudly used the name Redskins for more than 80 years.”

Last summer the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Appeal Board voted 2-1 that the Washington team name was ineligible for federal trademark protection.

Afterwards the football franchise filed its own lawsuit against five Native American activists who led the charge against its name and logo.

The latest ruling – considered a win for the activists and those looking for changes and a loss for the football team – will not immediately be put into effect. That’s because a final decision will not be made until all appeals have been made in federal courts.

Native Americans have been advocating for more than 60 years to have the team change its name.

The franchise was established in 1932 and was originally called the Boston Braves. After one year the team changed its name to the Boston Redskins.

The organization relocated to Washington in 1937 and has been there ever since.

The franchise has won the Super Bowl three times, in 1982, ’87 and ’91.

Though the club has been in Washington since the late ‘30s, it wasn’t until 1967 the organization registered its name with the US Patent and Trademark Office. The franchise registered five other Redskins trademarks, with various letterings and logos, from 1974-90.

The club’s legal battle over its name are nothing new. There has been litigation over the use of its name ongoing since 1992.