15 U.S.C. § 1064
A petition to cancel a registration of a mark, stating the grounds relied upon, may, upon payment of the prescribed fee, be filed as follows by any person who believes that he is or will be damaged, including as a result of a likelihood of dilution by blurring or dilution by tarnishment under section 1125(c) of this title, by the registration of a mark on the principal register established by this chapter, or under the Act of March 3, 1881, or the Act of February 20, 1905:
Provided, That the Federal Trade Commission may apply to cancel on the grounds specified in paragraphs (3) and (5) of this section any mark registered on the principal register established by this chapter, and the prescribed fee shall not be required. Nothing in paragraph (5) shall be deemed to prohibit the registrant from using its certification mark in advertising or promoting recognition of the certification program or of the goods or services meeting the certification standards of the registrant. Such uses of the certification mark shall not be grounds for cancellation under paragraph (5), so long as the registrant does not itself produce, manufacture, or sell any of the certified goods or services to which its identical certification mark is applied. Nothing in paragraph (6) shall be construed to limit the timing applicable to any other ground for cancellation. A registration under section 1126(e) or 1141f of this title shall not be cancelled pursuant to paragraph (6) if the registrant demonstrates that any nonuse is due to special circumstances that excuse such nonuse.
15 U.S.C. § 1064
EDITORIAL NOTES
REFERENCES IN TEXTActs March 3, 1881 and February 20, 1905, referred to in opening par. and pars. (2) and (4), are acts Mar. 3, 1881, ch. 138, 21 Stat. 502 and Feb. 20, 1905, ch. 592, 33 Stat. 724, which were repealed insofar as inconsistent with this chapter by act July 5, 1946, ch. 540, §46(a), 60 Stat. 444. Act Feb. 20, 1905, was classified to sections 81 to 109 of this title.
PRIOR PROVISIONSAct Feb. 20, 1905, ch. 592, §13, 33 Stat. 728.
AMENDMENTS2020- Pub. L. 116-260, §225(b)(3), in concluding proviso, inserted "Nothing in paragraph (6) shall be construed to limit the timing applicable to any other ground for cancellation. A registration under section 1126(e) or 1141f of this title shall not be cancelled pursuant to paragraph (6) if the registrant demonstrates that any nonuse is due to special circumstances that excuse such nonuse." after "identical certification mark is applied."Par. (6). Pub. L. 116-260, §225(b)(1), (2), added par. (6). 2006- Pub. L. 109-312 substituted ",including as a result of a likelihood of dilution by blurring or dilution by tarnishment under section 1125(c) of this title," for ",including as a result of dilution under section 1125(c) of this title," in introductory provisions. 1999- Pub. L. 106-43 inserted ",including as a result of dilution under section 1125(c) of this title," after "damaged" in introductory provisions. 1998- Pub. L. 105-330, §301, inserted at end "Nothing in paragraph (5) shall be deemed to prohibit the registrant from using its certification mark in advertising or promoting recognition of the certification program or of the goods or services meeting the certification standards of the registrant. Such uses of the certification mark shall not be grounds for cancellation under paragraph (5), so long as the registrant does not itself produce, manufacture, or sell any of the certified goods or services to which its identical certification mark is applied."Par. (3). Pub. L. 105-330, §201(a)(4), inserted "or is functional," before "or has been abandoned". 1988- Pub. L. 100-667, §115(1), (7), in introductory provisions, inserted "as follows" and substituted "1905:" for "1905-", and in concluding proviso substituted "paragraphs (3) and (5)" for "subsections (c) and (e)".Par. (1). Pub. L. 100-667, §115(2), substituted "(1) Within" for "(a) within" and "chapter." for "chapter; or". Par. (2). Pub. L. 100-667, §115(3), substituted "(2) Within" for "(b) within", and "1905." for "1905; or". Par. (3). Pub. L. 100-667, §115(4), substituted "(3)" for "(c)" and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: "at any time if the registered mark becomes the common descriptive name of an article or substance, or has been abandoned, or its registration was obtained fraudulently or contrary to the provisions of section 1054 of this title or of subsections (a), (b), or (c) of section 1052 of this title for a registration hereunder, or contrary to similar prohibitory provisions of said prior Acts for a registration thereunder, or if the registered mark is being used by, or with the permission of, the registrant so as to misrepresent the source of the goods or services in connection with which the mark is used. A registered mark shall not be deemed to be the common descriptive name of goods or services solely because such mark is also used as a name of or to identify a unique product or service. The primary significance of the registered mark to the relevant public rather than purchaser motivation shall be the test for determining whether the registered mark has become the common descriptive name of goods or services in connection with which it has been used; or". Par. (4). Pub. L. 100-667, §115(5), substituted "(4) At" for "(d) at", and "title." for "title; or".Par. (5). Pub. L. 100-667, §115(6), substituted "(5) At" for "(e) at" and redesignated former pars. (1) to (4) as subpars. (A) to (D), respectively.1984-Par. (c). Pub. L. 98-620 inserted provision that a registered mark shall not be deemed to be the common descriptive name of goods or services solely because such mark is also used as a name of or to identify a unique product or service, and that the primary significance of the registered mark to the relevant public rather than purchaser motivation shall be the test for determining whether the registered mark has become the common descriptive name of goods or services in connection with which it has been used. 1982- Pub. L. 97-247 struck out "verified" before "petition to cancel" in provision preceding par. (a). 1962- Pub. L. 87-772 inserted provisions which require a verified petition to cancel a registration, redesignated par. (d) as (e), added par. (d) which is composed of provisions formerly part of par. (c), and in said par. (c), substituted "registrant" for "assignee", and struck out "on which the patent has expired" before "or has been abandoned", and "has been assigned and" before "is being used by".
STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES
EFFECTIVE DATE OF 2020 AMENDMENT Pub. L. 116-260, div. Q, title II, §225(g), Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2208, provided that: "The amendments made by this section [enacting sections 1066a and 1066b of this title and amending this section and sections 1065, 1070, 1071, and 1094 of this title] shall take effect upon the expiration of the 1-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 27, 2020], and shall apply to any mark registered before, on, or after that effective date."
EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1999 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 106-43 effective Aug. 5, 1999, and applicable only to any application for registration filed on or after Jan. 16, 1996, see section 2(e) of Pub. L. 106-43 set out as a note under section 1052 of this title.
EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1998 AMENDMENT Amendment by section 201(a)(4) of Pub. L. 105-330 effective Oct. 30, 1998, and applicable only to any civil action filed or proceeding before the United States Patent and Trademark Office commenced on or after such date relating to the registration of a mark, see section 201(b) of Pub. L. 105-330 set out as a note under section 1051 of this title.
EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1988 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 100-667 effective one year after Nov. 16, 1988, see section 136 of Pub. L. 100-667 set out as a note under section 1051 of this title.
EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1982 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 97-247 effective six months after Aug. 27, 1982, see section 17(c) of Pub. L. 97-247 set out as a note under section 294 of Title 35, Patents.
FINALITY OF JUDGMENTS PRIOR TO NOVEMBER 8, 1984Pub. L. 98-620, title I, §104, Nov. 8, 1984, 98 Stat. 3336, provided that: "Nothing in this title [amending this section and section 1127 of this title and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 1051 of this title] shall be construed to provide a basis for reopening of any final judgment entered prior to the date of enactment of this title [Nov. 8, 1984]."
REPEAL AND EFFECT ON EXISTING RIGHTS Repeal of inconsistent provisions, effect of this chapter on pending proceedings and existing registrations and rights under prior acts, see notes set out under section 1051 of this title.
RESTRICTION ON USE OF FUNDS TO CANCEL REGISTRATION OF TRADEMARKSFor provisions restricting the use of funds authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 41 et seq. of this title for fiscal year 1980, 1981, or 1982, for the purpose of taking any action under this section with respect to the cancellation of the registration of any mark on the ground that such mark has become the common descriptive name of an article or substance, see section 18 of Pub. L. 96-252 set out as a note under section 57c of this title.
EXECUTIVE DOCUMENTS
TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONSFor transfer of functions of Federal Trade Commission, with certain exceptions, to Chairman of such Commission, see Reorg. Plan No. 8 of 1950, §1, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3175, 64 Stat. 1264, set out under section 41 of this title.