INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Protecting your brand and goodwill begins with registering your trademark.
For more than 20 years, m.e.t.a.l.® IP has served as trademark counsel for companies, organizations, and entrepreneurs and successfully secured trademark registrations with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). We have served as counsel for over 3,000 trademark matters.
Trademark Registration
Our trademark registration services are a flat fee and include:
- We perform a comprehensive preliminary trademark clearance search to determine available names, slogans, and logos for your brand. We use a powerful search engine that analyzes a proposed mark's likelihood of success.
- We provide you with our legal opinion on whether you can obtain your desired mark.
- We advise you on strategies to build a trademark portfolio effectively.
- We interact with you as we draft the trademark application to ensure accuracy.
- We file your application with the USPTO and, if applicable, with trademark offices in other countries to protect your brand in the United States and internationally.*
- We update you on the progress of your application throughout the process.
- We work with you to resolve non-substantive office actions that may be issued by a USPTO examining attorney.
- We will send you the trademark registration certificate!
Other Trademark Services
- We provide opinions on navigating legal issues, such as issuing cease and desist letters and takedown notices to platforms (e.g., TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Amazon, Spotify) that display content infringing on your brand.
- We record Trademark Change of Ownership documents.
- We renew registrations to ensure continuous protection.
- We file petitions for expungement or reexamination of a possible fraudulent registration in the USPTO database, preventing your application from registering.
- We represent defendants in Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) opposition and cancellation proceedings (see below).
*As of August 3, 2019, all foreign-domiciled trademark applicants and registrants must have a U.S.-licensed attorney. Visit the USPTO page on this topic for more information.
Click to see our fee schedule for our intellectual property services (second page). We also offer license, contract, and office action reviews and consultations.
USPTO Trademark Representation
(including foreign-domiciled company representation)
We have registered over 2500 trademarks with the USPTO and Trademark Offices in foreign territories to protect several types of goods or services, including:
Downloadable Music - Live Music Performances - Recording Artists - Television Shows - Film Productions - Music Library Services - Multimedia Content - Spoken Word Performances - Belly dancing touring - Podcasts - Guitar Shapes - Dating Services - Children’s Books - Alcohol Beverages - Educational Programs - Consulting Services - Apparel Brands - Socks - Shoes - Fashion Showrooms - Custom Jewelry - Organizing Conferences - Piercing Services - Social Consciousness programs - Sunglasses - Community Service outreach - Self Defense Products - Wearables - Fitness Technology - Restaurants - Retail Stores - Workout Facilities - Home Security Services - Candy - Japanese Swords - Water Products - Software - Makeup - Exfoliating Products - Barbershops - Legal Services - Business Consulting - Career Coaching - Health Spa Services - Social Network Websites - Charitable Services
TTAB Proceeding Representation
What exactly is a TTAB Proceeding?
We represent defendants in Trademark Trial and Appeal Board proceedings.
Oppositions
Cancellations
TTAB Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB)?
The TTAB is an administrative board that hears ex parte appeals and decides adversary proceedings between two parties. The Board is authorized to determine your right to register a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The Board is not authorized to decide whether you have the right to use a trademark or if an infringement has occurred. It can only rule as to whether you can register your mark.
What Is a TTAB Trademark Opposition Proceeding?A TTAB Opposition Proceeding occurs when a party files a Notice of Opposition during your trademark application’s Opposition Period. In general, when the opposing party files this notice, it is taking the position that even though the USPTO does not have an issue with your trademark registering, the opposing party believes that registration will cause a problem. The most common claim is that the existence of both trademarks in public will confuse people as to the source of the good or service. Other common reasons are that the opposer may think the new trademark is disparaging or will hurt the opposer's reputation or the trademark is viewed as scandalous.
What Is a TTAB Cancellation Proceeding?A Cancellation proceeding occurs after your trademark mark is registered. Even after your trademark is registered, there is still a chance that someone can attempt to cancel your registration. Common claims include the likelihood of confusion, an issue with the registrant’s ownership, or the registrant is no longer using the trademark (abandonment).
Who Can Oppose My Trademark Application?
Unfortunately, anyone who believes that your trademark registration may harm their business can oppose your application. It is tough to disprove an opposer early in a TTAB Proceeding because the initial stages are more about collecting information (i.e., pleadings, initial disclosures, discovery).
Why Would Someone Want To Oppose Your Trademark Application?Some oppositions are legitimate. The opposer believes that the registration of your trademark may weaken their current registration. However, in some cases, the opposers are individuals or companies who think that they can bully you into giving up your trademark rights. Opposers may gamble to see if you will ignore the notice. If you fail to file a timely Answer, then the opposer automatically wins whether or not their claim is valid. Similar to litigation, it is sometimes used as a business strategy.
What is An Extension of Time To Oppose?If someone discovers a mark that it possibly wants to oppose close to the filing deadline, they can file a request to extend the deadline. There are guidelines for how many extensions the TTAB will grant, but as long as the opposer files a timely request, the TTAB will grant the first extension. The TTAB will grant the first request of thirty (30) days without a showing of cause and no fee. More extended periods require showing good cause and paying a fee.
Can You Settle A Trademark Opposition?If you, as the trademark applicant, lose the trademark opposition, then your application will be canceled and it will not register. This creates a legal cloud over your business if you continue to use the trademark. The opposer has the right to come after you for trademark infringement in federal court and some of the rulings in the TTAB proceeding will become evidence in the federal lawsuit.
On the other hand, if the opposer loses, it will not be able to stop your application from going through, and this may cause them problems in the market.
TTAB proceedings frequently end in a settlement before trial because of the risks stated above, and the fact that neither side can recover its attorneys' fees or costs even if they prevail.
What Are Your Options If You Receive a TTAB Notice or Petition?
The first thing you need to do is review the pleading (Notice of Opposition or Petition To Cancel) to understand and validate the claims and issues. You will need to consider things like:
- Is your mark similar to the opposing trademark?
- Was the opposing party's trademark used in commerce before you used your trademark? (i.e., were the goods or services related to the opposing party's trademark sold interstate before your product or service?)
- Are international classes or descriptions of services/goods similar or the same?
There are many things to analyze when determining whether the opposing party's claim is valid.
As mentioned above, some companies file TTAB proceedings as a business strategy. You can find out if the opposer has a history of doing this by researching the TTAB records.
Second, do not miss your deadlines! You have to understand that the opposer has nothing to lose until you file your Answer to the pleading. If you fail to file an Answer, then the opposer wins by default. Your options are to either filing an Answer on your own (pro per) or hiring a law firm to file an Answer on your behalf.
Lastly, be aware that these proceedings use the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Trademark Law, and Trademark Rules and Procedures so these proceedings can get complicated. There are pleadings, disclosure requirements, discovery (depositions, interrogatories, requests for production of documents and things, and requests for admission), motions, briefs, and a trial.
Contact us if you need would like us to advise or represent you in a TTAB proceeding!
Copyright Representation
Copyright Registration and Document Recordation
- Notice of Termination recordation for musical compositions (e.g., publishing catalogs)
- Online filing for registrations and the recordation of certain documents (we are part of the pilot program!)
- Application monitoring through the process
- Address procedural issues from the Copyright Office
- Multiple deposits by the same author may qualify as a single application (i.e., photographs, recordings, compositions)
Click to see our fee schedule for our intellectual property services (second page). We offer preliminary trademark search analysis and license review and consultations.
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