What is an abandoned trademark?

Photo of Tomas Orsula

Written by Tomas Orsula

Senior Trademark Attorney

A trademark that has been abandoned is considered not active, with the exact definition varying per jurisdiction. However, this does not outrightly mean that the trademark is not actually being used, as the owner can deceptively continue using the abandoned trademark or is possibly in the process of renewing it.

It is possible to renew an abandoned trademark within a grace period (generally 6 months) in jurisdictions such as the EU and the UK at an additional cost. In the US, an unforeseen circumstance or a cause has to be proven to request a petition to revive a trademark application marked as abandoned.

In most jurisdictions, a trademark is valid for 10 years. To prevent your trademark from becoming abandoned, you need to renew it by filing a Trademark Renewal. If you wish to renew your trademark, you can do so with Trama as well.

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