"Redskins Hog Rinds" denied trademark registration due to the term's disparaging meaning.

Possibly foreshadowing the inevitable demise of the Washington Redskins' trademark, the patent office denied registration for a trademark on "Redskins Hog Rinds," saying the term is disparaging to Native Americans. This is not the first time the USPTO denied registration to a mark including the name "Redskins." The USPTO's rationale is based on secondary meaning. Consumers associate "Washington Redskins" with the football team, but consumers would associate "Redskins Hog Rinds" with the racist term, not hog rinds.

Previous posts on IP litigation and IP generally.

Here is a link to an index of some of my previous posts on intellectual property litigation. There should be more added to the list in 2014.