Guides · Trademark Litigation

Trademark Litigation Resources

Official sources for federal and Texas trademark law, the records used to check who owns a mark, and the tribunals that hear trademark disputes.

Published October 20, 2026 · Last reviewed October 20, 2026Law checked through October 20, 2026

In Short

Official sources for federal and Texas trademark law, the records used to check who owns a mark, and the tribunals that hear trademark disputes.

Statutes.

Source	What it covers
Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1051-1141n	Registration, infringement, unfair competition, dilution, cybersquatting, remedies
Tex. Bus. & Com. Code ch. 16	Texas registration, infringement of Texas-registered marks (§ 16.102), Texas dilution (§ 16.103), remedies (§ 16.104)
18 U.S.C. § 2320	Criminal trafficking in counterfeit goods

Source	Use
USPTO Trademark Search	Search federal applications and registrations
USPTO Trademark Status and Document Retrieval (TSDR)	Full file history of an application or registration
TTABVUE	Docket and filings in TTAB oppositions and cancellations
Texas Secretary of State trademark search (SOSDirect)	Search Texas state trademark registrations
PACER	Federal court dockets and filings

Source	Use
Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure (TMEP)	How examiners apply the law, including likelihood of confusion
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board Manual of Procedure (TBMP)	Procedure in oppositions and cancellations
Fifth Circuit Pattern Jury Instructions (Civil), Chapter 14: Trademarks (2024)	Pattern instructions for trademark claims in federal court in Texas

Source	Use
U.S. Customs and Border Protection IPR recordation	Record registered marks so CBP can detain and seize counterfeit imports
Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP); WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center	Administrative complaints to transfer cybersquatted domain names

The sources are the documents listed above.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Law checked through October 20, 2026. See the Disclaimer.