Under the Lanham Act, before any trademark registration will issue, an application must first be published for opposition. This publication provides the public with an opportunity to challenge registration of a trademark by another party. An opposition action is an adversarial proceeding before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) and though not generally as lengthy or formal as litigation in the courts, follows essentially the same process. While there are a number of bases for an opposition, the most common is based on an allegation from one party that the trademark of the other party is likely to be confused with its own. Oppositions involve pleadings, discovery, depositions, legal briefs and ultimately oral arguments in front of a panel of three administrative judges of the TTAB. This panel ultimately issues a written opinion and a decision as to whether the opposed mark is or is not entitled to registration.
An opposition action is very narrow, however, as it only relates to the question of whether a particular trademark is entitled to registration. Issues outside that (such as any actual infringement of a trademark or damages) are not addressed. Historically, those issues are addressed via trademark infringement litigation in federal court. There has always been a question, however, as to the impact of a TTAB decision regarding registrability of a given trademark in any other trademark litigation between the parties at issue. If the TTAB determines that A’s trademark is confusingly similar to B’s, does that automatically mean that A’s mark is confusingly similar to B’s in the courts? Per the recent B.B. Hardware v. Hargis Industries decision, the answer is potentially yes.
Facts of the Case
Continue Reading Judicial Update: TTAB Decisions Have Greater Impact After B&B Hardware Decision