Justice Dept. to defend law that let government cancel Redskins' trademark, deemed disparaging

Pro-Football Inc., Redskins owner Dan Snyder's company, has challenged the constitutionality of the Lanham Act, which allows the cancellation of a registered trademark that is deemed disparaging. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ruled last June that "Redskins" is both disparaging and offensive, after which the PTO stripped the team of all six such registrations. From Wapo:

The Justice Department announced in a brief that was filed Friday with the U.S. District Court of Eastern Virginia that it will step in to defend the constitutionality of the federal law. The department will file memorandum responding to Pro-Football Inc.’s constitutional challenge, according to the brief.