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How often do trademark oppositions happen?

Senior Trademark Attorney

Trademark oppositions are relatively uncommon. In the US, approximately 5,000 oppositions are filed annually against around 600,000 applications; roughly 0.8%. In the UK, oppositions are filed in around 2.5% of cases. Most other major jurisdictions see similar or lower rates.

The low base rate does not mean the risk is negligible. The key variable is how similar your mark is to existing registrations in the same class. A mark with clear similarities to existing registrations in a competitive class is at meaningfully higher risk than a distinctive mark in a class with few existing similar marks.

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