Disparagement Law and Legal Definition
Disparagement refers to a statutory cause of action that permits a party to make a petition to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board to cancel a trademark registration. The term extends the cancellation to situations that falsely suggest a connection with persons, living or dead, institutions, beliefs, or national symbols, or bring them into contempt or disrepute. However, Self-disparaging trademarks are allowed, when the applicant has shown that the mark as-used is not considered by the relevant group to be disparaging.
