Trademark Infringement in Federal Court

<h2>Trademark Litigation</h2><p>Trademark infringement claims under the Lanham Act (15 U.S.C. § 1114 for registered marks, § 1125(a) for unregistered marks) are filed in federal district court. The central question is whether the defendant's use of a similar mark creates a "likelihood of confusion" among consumers.</p><h2>Types of Trademark Claims</h2><ul><li><strong>Infringement:</strong> Unauthorized use of a confusingly similar mark</li><li><strong>Dilution:</strong> Use that blurs or tarnishes a famous mark (§ 1125(c))</li><li><strong>Counterfeiting:</strong> Use of a spurious mark identical to a registered mark</li><li><strong>Cybersquatting:</strong> Bad-faith registration of domain names incorporating trademarks (ACPA)</li><li><strong>False advertising:</strong> Misleading commercial advertising under § 1125(a)(1)(B)</li></ul>