Trademark Registration is a long process which involves multiple stages of inspection. Trademark Opposition is an important part of the process where your mark is opposed for similarity or creating deception.
After your trademark is advertised in the Trademark Journal, it is open for Opposition to the general public within 3-4 months from the date of advertisement of the mark.
Your trademark application will reflect as Opposed when the opposition has been filed by a third party. The opponent can file a case only before the Registrar.
The opposition is usually filed in case of similar or confusing marks which are published in the Trademark Journal. In this case, the trademark application status changed from Accepted and Advertised to Opposed.
To this, the applicant needs to file a counter-statement with form TM-O within two months from the date of receipt of the notice. The notice contains all the grounds on which the party has opposed the mark.
You can always contact us for filing opposition reply at an affordable cost.
Failing to reply to the opposition notice can abandon your trademark on the basis that the applicant is not interested in contesting for the opposition.
The applicant also needs to present evidence in support of his/her applied mark.
To dispose off the matter, the Registrar hears both the parties and decides based on the evidence and counter statements. In case the decision falls in favour of the opposition party then your trademark will be Refused for registration.