News & Analysis as of

Likelihood of Confusion Trademark Registration Trademark Trial and Appeal Board

Knobbe Martens

Fireball Frenzy: When First Registering a Mark, Genericness of a Mark Is Determined at the Time of Registration

Knobbe Martens on

BULLSHINE DISTILLERY LLC v. SAZERAC BRANDS, LLC - Before Moore, Reyna and Taranto. Appeal from the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. In assessing genericness, the TTAB considers how the mark was understood at the time of...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Opposers Beware: Your Own Mark May Not Be Protectable

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The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board’s dismissal of an opposition to the registration of the marks IVOTERS and IVOTERS.COM while also noting that the US Patent &...more

Fish & Richardson

TTAB Puts Pool Hall Behind the 8 Ball

Fish & Richardson on

On March 20, 2025, the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) granted an opposition filed by Jack’s Family Restaurants, LP, and denied an application filed by Jack’s Grill and Billiards, Inc., to register JACK’S...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Zone of Natural Expansion Is a Shield, Not a Sword

McDermott Will & Emery on

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld a Trademark Trial & Appeal Board decision to partially cancel trademarks, ruling that an opposition challenger could not use the zone of natural expansion doctrine to...more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Compassion in Registration: A Lesson in Filing Narrow Trademark Applications

Dorsey & Whitney LLP on

Identical trademarks can coexist, as the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board once again emphasized when it overturned the refusal of a COMPASSION IN ACTION mark. ...more

McDermott Will & Emery

No Bull: Historically Generic Term Can Become Non-Generic

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The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed Trademark Trial & Appeal Board rulings, finding that a previously generic term was not generic at the time registration was sought because at that time the mark, as...more

Fish & Richardson

USPTO Kicks “Hijacker” of Foreign Trademark Out the Door

Fish & Richardson on

When, if ever, is it okay to use a trademark in U.S. commerce that is identical to another company’s mark used outside the U.S.? Courts have struggled with this issue for years, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office...more

Ladas & Parry LLP

TTAB favours Airbnb in opposition against competitor TREEBNB mark

Ladas & Parry LLP on

In Airbnb Inc v Seth Bolt and Victoria Bolt, the Trademark Trial and Appeals Board (TTAB) ruled in favour of opposer Airbnb Inc., against applicants Seth and Victoria Bolt. The board’s decision was influenced by, among other...more

Baker Donelson

Baker's Trademark Developments of 2024

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2024 has been a busy year in all intellectual property. It has been especially busy in trademark law. Here are the top seven cases in trademark law to date....more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Cognac Scores a Win for Certification Marks

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Cognac, which originates from a specific region of France and is named after the commune of Cognac, is far more popular outside its native country. Indeed, according to the industry group Bureau National Interprofessional du...more

Weintraub Tobin

(Podcast) The Briefing: Thirsty for Clarity – Brand Confusion In The Beverage Category

Weintraub Tobin on

The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board often consider wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages related when determining the likelihood of confusion despite there being no per se rule on the matter. Scott Hervey and Jamie...more

Weintraub Tobin

The Briefing: Thirsty for Clarity – Brand Confusion In The Beverage Category

Weintraub Tobin on

The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board often consider wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages related when determining the likelihood of confusion despite there being no per se rule on the matter. Scott Hervey and Jamie...more

Erise IP

What’s Trending in Trademarks, July 2024: Suit Against Prime Hydration Puts Unique Olympic Trademark Law on Display; Are Two...

Erise IP on

Every month, Erise’s trademark attorneys review the latest developments at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, in the courts, and across the corporate world to bring you the stories that you should know about: Suit...more

Ladas & Parry LLP

VEUVE CLICQUOT v. VEUVE OLIVIER: TTAB Favours Petitioner as Respondent Defaults in Cancellation Action

Ladas & Parry LLP on

In MHCS v Les Grands Chais De France (Cancellation No 92075021, 8 March 2024), the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) has granted a petition for cancellation brought by viticulture giant MHCS against a mark owned by the...more

Knobbe Martens

Minority Owners of a Trademark Registrant, Who neither Use nor Possess Ownership Rights in the Mark, Cannot Seek Cancellation of...

Knobbe Martens on

Appeal from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Summary: Parties that own minority shares in the trademark registrant, but do not separately use or possess an ownership right in...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

A Tableau of Consumer Confusion – Are Alcohol Beverages and Bar Services Always Related?

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

A recent decision from the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board may make bars and alcoholic beverage brands think twice about their trademark selections. In In re Caymus, the Board upheld a refusal to register TABLEAU, based in...more

Miller Canfield

Location Or Protectable Trademark? Smaller Airports Grounded in Their Pursuit to Use the Name of the Largest Cities They Serve

Miller Canfield on

Two of the busiest airports in the United States are battling with their smaller counterparts to retain trademark rights in the name of the major cities the airports serve. While the smaller airports want to capitalize on...more

Erise IP

What’s Trending in Trademarks, February 2024: Fruity Pebbles Denied Color Mark, Captain Cannabis Cancellation, Trader Joe’s vs....

Erise IP on

Every month, Erise’s trademark attorneys review the latest developments at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, in the courts, and across the corporate world to bring you the stories that you should know about: Fruity...more

Fenwick & West LLP

Federal Circuit Turns the Burden on Trademark Owners to Prove Identical Third-Party Marks Are Not in Use

Fenwick & West LLP on

In Spireon, Inc. v. Flex Ltd., No. 2022-1578 (Fed. Cir. June 26, 2023), the Federal Circuit took a surprising turn in which it held that it is the trademark owner’s burden to prove that identical third-party marks put forth...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Strike 1: Priority. Strike 2 :Likelihood of Confusion. Strike 3: You’re Out under Section 2(d).

McDermott Will & Emery on

The Trademark Trial & Appeal Board affirmed the rejection of three trademark applications, finding that the applied-for marks would cause confusion with a record-setting major league baseball player. Major League Baseball...more

McDermott Will & Emery

No Spark Here: TTAB Refuses to Register Similar Mark for Real Estate Services

McDermott Will & Emery on

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board’s refusal to register a mark due to the “close similarity” between the applied-for mark and a previously registered mark. In Re:...more

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

Federal Circuit Appeals from the PTAB and ITC: Summaries of Key 2022 Decisions: Tiger Lily Ventures Ltd. v. Barclays Capital Inc.,...

Barclays Capital Inc. filed oppositions with the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) against Tiger Lily Ventures Ltd.’s two applications for the standard character mark “LEHMAN BROTHERS” alleging that Tiger Lily’s marks...more

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

Federal Circuit Appeals from the PTAB and ITC: Summaries of Key 2022 Decisions

As part of the recovery from the global COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit took steps to return to normal operations. It began requiring live oral arguments in August 2022 and, by November,...more

BakerHostetler

Marks That Are Opposites Sometimes Attract Refusal of Registration

BakerHostetler on

When considering a likelihood of confusion, one might naturally think a mark is registrable that is an antonym (opposite) of a registered mark. This was not the result in In re Sugar Free Specialties, LLC, Serial No. 90706411...more

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

MarkIt to Market® - November 2022: Priority Pitfalls

The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board’s recently issued precedential decision dismissing an opposition alleging a likelihood of confusion between the registered mark SMOK and a pending application for the mark SMOKES and...more

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