301.01    In General

The Board has jurisdiction over four types of inter partes proceedings, namely, oppositions, cancellations, interferences, and concurrent use proceedings. See TBMP § 102.

An opposition is a proceeding in which the plaintiff seeks to prevent the issuance of a registration of a mark on the Principal Register. "Any person who believes that he would be damaged by the registration of a mark" may, upon payment of the prescribed fee, file an opposition thereto, but the opposition may be filed only as a timely response to the publication of the mark, under Trademark Act § 12(a), 15 U.S.C. § 1062(a), in the Official Gazette of the USPTO. [ Note 1.]

A cancellation proceeding is a proceeding in which the plaintiff seeks to cancel an existing registration of a trademark on the Principal or the Supplemental Register. "Any person who believes that he would be damaged by the registration of a mark" may, upon payment of the prescribed fee, file a petition to cancel thereto, but the petition to cancel may only be filed after the issuance of the registration. [ Note 2.]

An interference is a proceeding in which the Board determines which, if any, of the owners of conflicting applications (or of one or more applications and one or more registrations which are in conflict), is entitled to registration. [ Note 3.] The proceeding is declared by the Office only on petition to the Director showing extraordinary circumstances therefor, that is, that the party who filed the petition would be unduly prejudiced without an interference. [ Note 4.] See TBMP § 1002.

A concurrent use proceeding is a proceeding in which the Board determines whether one or more applicants is entitled to a concurrent registration, that is, a registration with conditions and limitations, fixed by the Board, ordinarily as to the geographic scope of the applicant’s mark or the goods and/or services on or in connection with which the mark is used. [ Note 5.] See TBMP § 1101.01.

NOTES:

 1.   See Trademark Act § 13, 15 U.S.C. § 1063. See also Trademark Act § 68(a)(2), 15 U.S.C. § 1141h(a)(2)  (an application filed under Trademark Act § 66(a), 15 U.S.C. § 1141f(a), is subject to opposition under Trademark Act § 13, 15 U.S.C. § 1063).

 2.   See Trademark Act § 14, 15 U.S.C. § 1064; Trademark Act § 24, 15 U.S.C. § 1092.

 3.   See Trademark Act § 16, 15 U.S.C. § 1066; Trademark Act § 18, 15 U.S.C. § 1068.

 4.   See Trademark Act § 16, 15 U.S.C. § 1066.

 5.   See Trademark Act § 2(d),15 U.S.C. § 1052(d); Trademark Act § 17,15 U.S.C. § 1067; Trademark Act § 18, 15 U.S.C. § 1068; 37 C.F.R. § 2.42, 37 C.F.R. § 2.73, 37 C.F.R. § 2.99; The Tamarkin Co. v. Seaway Food Town Inc., 34 USPQ2d 1587, 1592 n.9 (TTAB 1995).