TTAB

The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. It decides disputes between parties over registration - oppositions, cancellations and appeals from refusals. It cannot award damages or stop anyone using a mark; that requires a federal court.

The tribunal that decides who gets to register, and nothing beyond that. It cannot order anyone to stop using a name and it cannot award you money - a distinction that surprises owners who arrive expecting the Board to end an infringement.

1. Work out whether your problem is about the register or about use. Registration disputes go here; stopping use and recovering damages go to federal court.
2. If it is an opposition or cancellation, expect pleadings, discovery and evidence on a set timetable.
3. Consider settlement early. Board proceedings are slow and the costs accumulate.
4. If you are appealing a final refusal, the Board reviews the examiner's decision on the record.

An owner wants a copycat shut down and files with the TTAB. The Board can cancel the copycat's registration - but the shop keeps trading, because stopping use requires a court. The right forum depended on what the owner actually wanted.