You may file a declaratory judgment lawsuit, asking a court to declare that your mark does not infringe the trademark owner's mark, and/or that the trademark owner's mark is invalid.
Initiating A Legal Action by Filing a Complaint Assertion of your ownership rights to the trademark in question, Identification of the accused trademark infringer/defendant, An explanation of the relevant facts, Identification of the grounds upon which the action is based (e.g., trademark infringement, dilution, etc.),
To support a trademark infringement claim in court, a plaintiff must prove that it owns a valid mark, that it has priority (its rights in the mark(s) are "senior" to the defendant's), and that the defendant's mark is likely to cause confusion in the minds of consumers about the source or sponsorship of the goods or ...
To prevail on a claim of trademark infringement, a plaintiff must establish that it has a valid mark entitled to protection; and that the defendant used the same or a similar mark in commerce in connection with the sale or advertising of goods or services without the plaintiff's consent.
How Much Can You Sue for Trademark Infringement? The answer varies from case to case, but you can generally sue for actual damages, profits of the infringer, and statutory damages ranging from $1,000 to $200,000 per infringement.
The most common remedy for trademark infringement is injunctive relief. Injunctions are court orders commanding that the infringer immediately cease its unlawful activities. Injunctions address future conduct rather than past actions.
There are four main trademark infringement defenses that may be available for a defendant against a claim of trademark infringement: Doctrine of laches; Estoppel; Unclean hands; and. Fair use doctrine or collateral use doctrine.
What are my options to respond to the suit? Challenging the claimed trademark; Denying that the trademark owner has proved infringement; Asserting a defense to the alleged infringement; and/or. Negotiating a settlement of the lawsuit by, for example, agreeing to take certain actions to avoid likelihood of confusion.
The two main defenses are fair use and parody. The fair use defense applies to descriptive trademarks and argues that the trademark was used in good faith for its primary meaning, not the secondary meaning that is protected.
The Lanham Act establishes a national system of trademark registration and grants owners of federally registered trademarks the right to pursue civil remedies for trademark infringement, trademark dilution, cybersquatting, and false advertising.