TTAB Ex Parte Appeal
Ex parte TTAB appeals review USPTO examiner final refusals. The TTAB reviews the record de novo on legal issues but gives deference to the examiner’s factual findings. Appeals can proceed from the TTAB to the Federal Circuit or Eastern District of Virginia.
Trademark Classification and Identification of Goods
Trademark classification under the Nice Agreement and USPTO ID Manual requires balancing clarity of description against breadth of protection. The identification you accept at registration cannot be broadened later — only narrowed.
Trademark Maintenance and Renewal
Federal trademark registrations require Section 8 declarations of continued use between years 5 and 6, Section 15 incontestability declarations, and Section 9 renewals every 10 years. Failure to file results in automatic cancellation.
Intent-to-Use Trademark Application
Intent-to-use (ITU) trademark applications under Section 1(b) of the Lanham Act allow applicants to reserve a mark before use in commerce. The application creates a priority date, but registration cannot issue until a Statement of Use or Extension Request is filed.
Void Judgment Doctrine — Rule 60(b)(4) in Plain English
When a court judgment has no legal effect. A plain-English guide to the void judgment doctrine — when it applies, what the courts have said, and what to do if it happened to you.
The Life of a Texas Civil Litigation Case
An interactive 8-stage guide to civil litigation — from the moment a dispute arises through trial and post-judgment. Plain English. Texas and Federal comparison at each stage.
Texas HOA Litigation — Practitioner’s Primer
A working primer on Texas homeowners-association disputes — causes of action, procedural pathways, and outcome patterns from covenant enforcement to assessment foreclosure.