Opposition Period

The opposition period refers to the 30-day window during which the United States Patent and Trademark Office publishes in the Official Gazette the trademarks it intends to register. The purpose of the opposition period is to allow the public to review the marks that are up for registration.

In the event the party believes registration of the mark will cause them harm, the party can file a Notice of Opposition with the Patent and Trademark Office. The Patent and Trademark Office has a panel, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, which reviews all trademark oppositions. A party can request an extension of the 30-day window for filing an opposition.