A licensee can’t knock out a confusingly similar trademark. Julie A. Moreno licensed the Mexican trademark, DEPORTES CASANOVA, for sports equipment. Julie challenged Pro Boxing Supplies, Inc.’s trademark applications and registrations for CASANOVA due to a likelihood of confusion. The TTAB denied Julie’s petitions. While this looked like a priority of use problem, the real problem was that a licensee and not the owner/licensor was claiming priority of use. The TTAB ruled against Julie because: “Allowing a licensee to claim priority for itself in an inter parties proceeding based on the licensor’s use of the mark (whether through the license or otherwise), could result in a licensee being able to claim de facto ownership of the licensed mark.”

WHY YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS. This was a case of first impression for the Board. The Board had dealt with many cases in which the owner and its licensee jointly enforce the trademarks. But this was the first time the Board had to address whether a licensee alone had standing to enforce a licensor’s trademark rights. The Board said no. So a licensee should always insist that a trademark license either require the owner to challenge confusingly similar marks or join with the licensee to do so.

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