[E-trademarks] Junior User Filing Federal Registration with Existing Senior Common Law User

Sun Jul 20 13:23:27 UTC 2025

As a practical matter, I think whether or not there will be any issues depends on the size/awareness of the concurrent user.  I have been involved in two concurrent use proceedings that I recall.  One involved a multi-state Blockbuster Video-type store that discovered several one-off, unrelated video stores using the same name that appeared to have priority.  None of the individual video stores responded to the concurrent use proceeding.  In the other, we briefly represented a defendant in a concurrent use proceeding where we filed an answer, the Applicant said later it never got our answer, and the Board dropped the ball for almost 5 years, apologized and reset the trial schedule, at which point our client decided not to contest the matter.

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From: E-trademarks <e-trademarks-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com> On Behalf Of Davis, Ted via E-trademarks
Sent: Friday, July 18, 2025 7:05 PM
To: For trademark practitioners. This is not for laypersons to seek legal advice. <e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com>; Annette Heller <tmattorneyheller at aol.com>
Cc: Davis, Ted <TDavis at ktslaw.com>; ericab at ebmediate.com
Subject: Re: [E-trademarks] Junior User Filing Federal Registration with Existing Senior Common Law User

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                "[I]n concurrent use proceedings in which neither party owns a registration for the mark, the starting point for any determination as to the extent to which the registrations are to be territorially restricted should be . . . that the prior user is prima facie entitled to a registration covering the entire United States." In re Beatrice Foods Co., 429 F.2d 466, 474 (C.C.P.A. 1970). This means that "[a]s a general rule, a prior user of a mark is entitled to a registration covering the entire United States limited only to the extent that the subsequent user can establish that no likelihood of confusion exists and that it has concurrent rights in its actual area of use, plus its area of natural expansion." Pinocchio's Pizza, Inc. v. Sandra, Inc., 11 U.S.P.Q.2d 1227, 1228-29 (T.T.A.B. 1989).  Plus, of course, there are the Board's periodic suggestions that a junior user's adoption of its mark with knowledge of the senior user's mark will disqualify the junior user from receiving a concurrent use registration. See, e.g., Woman's World Shops Inc. v. Lane Bryant Inc., 5 U.S.P.Q.2d 1985, 1987-88 (T.T.A.B. 1988). It's possible for a dynamic junior user to secure more of the country than a stagnant senior user, see, e.g., Boi Na Braza, LLC v. Terra Sul Corp., 110 U.S.P.Q.2d 1386, 1394 (T.T.A.B. 2014) (granting priority of rights to junior user in all but two states), but it would be a mistake for that junior user to initiate a concurrent use proceeding with the expectation that it necessarily can freeze the senior user in place; in the average case, the opposite outcome will hold.

                Outside the registration context, and depending on the jurisdiction, a junior user either adopting, or expanding the use of, its mark with knowledge of an unregistered senior user's confusingly similar mark may be subject to at least injunctive relief under the Tea Rose-Rectanus Doctrine. Compare Stone Creek, Inc. v. Omnia Italian Design, Inc., 862 F.3d 1131, 1140-43 (9th Cir. 2017) (holding that mere knowledge of prior use exposes junior user to liability) with GTE Corp. v. Williams, 904 F.2d 536, 541 (10th Cir. 1990) (requiring bad faith adoption of mark by junior user).

[Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP]
Ted Davis
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From: E-trademarks <e-trademarks-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:e-trademarks-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com>> On Behalf Of Janet Satterthwaite via E-trademarks
Sent: Friday, July 18, 2025 5:03 PM
To: e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com>; e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com>; Annette Heller <tmattorneyheller at aol.com<mailto:tmattorneyheller at aol.com>>
Cc: Janet Satterthwaite <jsatterthwaite at potomaclaw.com<mailto:jsatterthwaite at potomaclaw.com>>; ericab at ebmediate.com<mailto:ericab at ebmediate.com>
Subject: Re: [E-trademarks] Junior User Filing Federal Registration with Existing Senior Common Law User

I assume the junior user adopted in good faith and was unaware of the senior remote user at the time of adoption. I have seen done something similar, claiming in the declaration that the applicant knows of no prior rights holder except possibly

I assume the junior user adopted in good faith and was unaware of the senior remote user at the time of adoption.

I have seen  done something similar, claiming in the declaration that the applicant knows of no prior rights holder except possibly x county,  but if you want to lock down the junior user's right to expand, I think you have to file a concurrent use application, which gets litigated  before the TTAB. Then you lock in the senior user's footprint and you get the presumptive right to the rest of the country. They can come in and litigate the extent of their footprint, so there would be discovery etc.

Janet F. Satterthwaite|Partner/ Chair, Trademark Practice|Potomac Law Group, PLLC

1717 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 1025

Washington, D.C. 20006

202-486-1578

jsatterthwaite at potomaclaw.com<mailto:jsatterthwaite at potomaclaw.com>|www.potomaclaw.com<https://www.potomaclaw.com/>

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From: E-trademarks <e-trademarks-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:e-trademarks-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com>> on behalf of Annette Heller via E-trademarks <e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com>>
Sent: Friday, July 18, 2025 4:55 PM
To: e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com> <e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com>>; e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com> <e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com>>
Cc: Annette Heller <tmattorneyheller at aol.com<mailto:tmattorneyheller at aol.com>>; ericab at ebmediate.com<mailto:ericab at ebmediate.com> <ericab at ebmediate.com<mailto:ericab at ebmediate.com>>
Subject: Re: [E-trademarks] Junior User Filing Federal Registration with Existing Senior Common Law User

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If the junior user is aware of the senior user and where they are using the mark, then when the junior user files the application, the junior user sets out the area it is not claiming rights to and list the other party information.

That is what I have done in the past.

Annette

Annette P. Heller
Trademark/Copyright Attorney
TM Law & Associates
400 Chesterfield Center Ste 400
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In a message dated 7/18/2025 3:51:36 PM Central Daylight Time, e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com> writes:

Can someone remind me of the rule that allows a junior user to file a federal registration even if there is an existing senior common law user, where the senior's use is in just 1 or 2 states? I assume the registration is subject to the senior user's geographic common law rights. Must the junior user be unaware of the senior user when filing the application, or the junior user can be aware, but just refrain from infringing the senior user's common law rights in the senior's geographic area?  Can the senior user try to cancel the junior's registration, or just enforce its geographic common law rights?  Thanks!

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