The controversy over the Washington Redskins has taken another turn after the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office canceled the trademarks for the team's name on Wednesday.

Team owner Dan Snyder has come under fire recently for refusing to change the name, which is widely seen as insensitive to Native Americans.

The decision from the U.S. administrator read, "...these registrations must be cancelled because they were disparaging to Native Americans at the respective times they were registered..."

The ruling does not force the team to abandon the name, but does allow others to use it without risking patent infringement litigation.

The move affects six registrations and was brought about by a petition from five Native Americans. The office found that "a substantial composite of Native Americans found the term REDSKINS to be disparaging in connection with respondent’s services during the relevant time frame of 1967-1990."

Amanda Blackhorse, one of the people who filed the case, told ThinkProgress that she hopes this move helps spur a new name for the team.

“It is a great victory for Native Americans and for all Americans. We filed our petition eight years ago and it has been a tough battle ever since. I hope this ruling brings us a step closer to that inevitable day when the name of the Washington football team will be changed," she reportedly said.

This is not the first time the patent office has revoked the team's trademark on the name. A 1992 ruling by the administrator was overturned by a U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia.

The team name has been a point of controversy for decades, but recent calls for it to be changed have grown louder. A commercial urging for a name change aired during a recent NBA finals game. The team's owner has rejected those efforts.

Moves by the team to mobilize its fans around the name have failed, with a recent hashtag turning into a social media disaster. HBO's John Oliver also featured the controversy in a recent skit.