Daniel Snyder, desperate to overturn a federal judge’s ruling to cancel his “Redskins” trademark due to it being offensive, has turned to the porn industry in an effort to boost his defense.
Washington NFL team defends name under precedent set by DICK BALLS and LAUGHING MY VAGINA OFF
Daniel Snyder is using porn to defend his “Redskins” trademark.
Snyder is appealing that decision and his lawyers filed their opening brief on Friday, according to the Washington Post. In it they argue that the United States’ trademark office has upheld numerous offensive trademarks before, and therefore its decision to revoke the Washington football team’s “Redskins” one is an inconsistent one.
“By way of example only, the following marks are registered today: Take Yo Panties Off clothing; Dangerous Negro shirts...Midget-Man condoms and inflatable sex dolls,” wrote the team’s lawyers in their opening brief, via the Post, which adds the following:
“The lawyers later added a footnote with 31 more trademark registrations, many of them unprintable in The Washington Post. On the list: ‘Party With Sluts...Redneck Army apparel...Booty Call sex aids...Dumb Blonde hair products.’”
Snyder’s lawyers are also arguing that the federal judge’s ruling in April was an infringement of the team’s First Amendment rights.
“A ban on registering ‘disparaging’ trademarks unconstitutionally burdens speech based on content and viewpoint,” wrote the team’s lawyers, “just as would a ban on registering copyrights for ‘disparaging’ books.”
This is Washington’s third attempt in the last 18 months to hold on to its trademark. It won’t be officially rescinded until the team has finished its appeals.
The case entered federal court in 2014 after a group of Native American activists petitioned the United States' trademark appeal board to hear their query. The board, citing the Lanham Act, which doesn't permit protection for trademarks that "may disparage," ruled that the "Redskins" trademark was offensive and had it revoked.
Washington responded by suing the activists in federal court in July. But the team lost that battle and the ruling was upheld. U.S. District Court judge Gerald Bruce Lee also added that revoking the trademark was not a violation of the team’s First Amendment rights.
Snyder, however, has repeatedly stated that he doesn’t believe the team name to be offensive and that he has no plans to change it.
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