Court: Trademark Trial and Appeal Board

The board’s decision reaffirms the value that a well-known and well-enforced mark has the potential to provide in an opposition context where coupled with robust evidentiary support.

07 August 2024

The decision underscores the importance of clear and precise identification of goods in trademark applications, and serves as a reminder to applicants to thoroughly address all grounds for refusal during the prosecution process.

29 July 2024

In the TTAB’s first decision in an appeal arising from an expungement proceeding, the board affirmed the USPTO director’s decision to cancel registrations for the mark SMARTLOCK for “components for air conditioning and cooling systems, namely, evaporative air coolers”.

22 July 2024

The TTAB has denied Monster Energy Company’s petition for cancellation of a golden PREDATOR mark and instead granted a summary judgment in connection with the claim the owner did not have a bona fide intent to use.

18 July 2024

The TTAB has issued a precedential opinion, reversing a refusal to register KORN FERRY ARCHITECT on the ground that “ARCHITECT” was merely descriptive of the applicant’s HR services.

17 July 2024

The TTAB decision to affirm the likelihood of confusion refusal of HOLLYWOOD COFFEE CO for retail services highlights the importance of following the rules for entering third-party registrations into the record and shows that “something more” is not required to show relatedness between two types of service.

15 July 2024

Around 57% of all Louis Vuitton infringement disputes in the United States take place before one Florida court, according to data analysis.

21 June 2024

Featured in The Trademark Prosecution Review 2025

When engaging with the US trademark system, there are some critical principles that rights holders should note. It is crucial to have a concrete understanding of how to navigate restrictions on registrations, the complexities of non-traditional marks and grounds for opposition – alongside the USPTO’s new trademark search platform. 

14 June 2024

Featured in The Trademark Prosecution Review 2025

There is a growing trend of USPTO examiners using third-party evidence to take a more expansive view of what goods and services are considered related. Practitioners should consider third-party registrations and adopt a similarly broad outlook when advising clients on likelihood of confusion.

14 June 2024

Upholding a district court decision in a software dispute, the Fourth Circuit has shed light on the rules that govern the power to subpoena evidence for use. The judgment underscores the differences between the TTAB and the courts, and the strategic implications of such a distinction.

04 April 2024