When a St. Petersburg, FL–based coffee company applied to register its long-standing brand name as a federal trademark, no one expected the case to become a touchstone for how the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) evaluates evidence — and how far it may go when speculating about market conditions.
Federal Circuit Reasserts Limits On USPTO Authority In 'KAHWA' Ruling
The decision reasserts important limits on the USPTO’s authority, particularly its reliance on unverified foreign-language translations, hypothetical assumptions about what businesses “might” offer in the future, and tenuous connections between a word and a service category.
By
Andriy Lytvyn
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