Native Americans seek dismissal of Redskins’ suit

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Five Native Americans are asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit the Washington Redskins filed against them over the team’s nickname.

The Native Americans, who are members of five different tribes throughout the U.S., earlier won a trademark dispute with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The agency ruled that the Redskins should lose trademark protection for their name because it may disparage Native Americans.

In court papers Monday, lawyers for the Native Americans say that if the football team wants to sue, it needs to sue the Patent and Trademark Office, which made the decision.

The team says a provision in federal law allows them to sue the individuals who sought the trademark’s cancellation.