Jesse Witten and Paul Moorehead Article Published in Indian Country Today

Washington, D.C. partners Jesse Witten and Paul Moorehead wrote an article for Indian Country Today titled, “Can the Courts Force Snyder to Drop 'Redskins'?”

The article discusses the controversy over the Washington NFL Team, including the pending petition before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) to cancel the team’s trademark registrations, captioned Blackhorse v. Pro-Football, Inc.  The federal trademark statute (called the Lanham Act) provides that the PTO shall not grant any applications for trademark registration if the registration contains matter that “may disparage … persons, living or dead” or “bring them into contempt or disrepute.”   

Jesse and others at the Firm represent the petitioners in Blackhorse.  The TTAB held oral argument in March.  The article also discussed the “Non-Disparagement of Native Persons or Peoples in Trademark Registration Act of 2013” (H.R. 1278), which would cancel the trademark registrations for “Redskins” and related marks.