"Redskin" row
The US Patent Office cancelled the patents for a Washington based American football team, saying their name is offensive.

Jesse Witten as a lawyer involved in the case challenging the Redskin trademark, he joins the staff from CNN in Washington. I mean how much of a significant victory is this given there's already been so much pressure for this team to finally change its name?
There's been a ton of pressure pour out, and this latest development is an exciting development that we've worked on for many years, and this is gonna add to the momentum and to the public outcry and increasing public awareness that the team name of the Washington NFL football team really is a relic from a different era and it really does need to change.
You know, they say that they're appealing the decision. Do you think it will offer a lot of material damage to their team? I mean they can still go ahead and you know, make all the trademark merchandise that they want to.
They announced today they're going to appeal it, only clarify with the ruling today was.
Today the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board which is a component of the US Patent and Trademark Office canceled the trademark registrations of the team doesn't mean that they have no more protectable interest that would require further litigation between the team and people who try to sell merchandise that uses the team name and logo,but what it does mean is that some of the benefits of having a federal government trademark registration wouldn't be there, in other words it will be more difficult for the team to protect its mark and there's a possibility that future litigation of courts might rule that's not protectable.
OK. But the fact remains in their appealing, it means their trademark stands in the meantime. The owner of the team says no way, we are never changing this name. As you said there's already been so much pressure from the US President on down. Are you confident that you're going to get anywhere with this in the coming months or years?
I don't know what will happen in the coming months and years, there's been an unbelievable movement as you point out pull out President Obama more than half of the members of the senate. Native Americans from all over the country, many different tribes and national organizations including the National Congress of American Indians are really speaking out, in some small way our trademark litigation is contributing to a much bigger effort. I don't know what will happen, I think that (as) you ask about the team owner, you know he's a supper fan, he grew up and fended the team, he has attachments to the team, but I'm hopeful that he like so many others will eventually reflect on this, and realize that this is just no longer a term that we should use anymore.
Yeah, as you say, this will continue to go on, unless the fans themself decide that it's time to change the name, it may take a lot more from your side of thinks.
Thanks so much of your times, appreciate you explaining this ruling to us.
Thank you.