Dykes on Bikes Trademark Lawsuit Upheld

Today, the California State Supreme Court refused to hear a case involving the trademark, "Dykes on Bikes".

The US Patent Office awarded the "Dykes on Bikes" trademark to a group of lesbian motorcycle riders named, "San Francisco Women's Motorcycle Contingent" back in 2005. The group had sought the trademark in 2003 after a clothing company was preparing to sell t-shirts with the famous phrase.

The Patent Office had originally denied the application, stating that the term "dyke" was derogatory. The lesbian biker group countered the term "dyke" was actually a good term, and had to prove it.

The result was that the Patent Office finally awarded the trademark. You can read my original article on this here.

Recently, a "men's rights" attorney, Michael McDermott, challenged the trademark by filing a lawsuit. He argued that the term, "Dykes on Bikes" was offensive to men, and immoral.

The State Supreme Court, today, denied the case.

So, will the San Francisco Women's Motorcycle Contingent start selling their own t-shirts?