Opposition & Dispute Intelligence

Profile an opposer before responding to an opposition

You received a notice of opposition and need to decide whether to answer, negotiate, or narrow the application. This recipe shows how to profile the opposer across prior proceedings, broaden the view from a single owner to the resolved entity, inspect the contested mark, and find portfolio marks that already have proceedings.

Use List Proceedings for cross-mark dispute sets, Trademark Proceedings for a single mark’s dispute history, and Search Trademarks with has_proceedings=true when you need marks that have any proceeding history.

Prerequisites

• A Signa API key with trademarks:read
• The opposer’s owner_id or entity_id
• The contested trademark ID, if you are already responding to a specific opposition

1. Start with the named opposer

   Search proceedings where the named owner appeared as the challenger. For TTAB oppositions, that usually means party_role=opponent.

   cURL

   curl -G "https://api.signa.so/v1/proceedings" \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer $SIGNA_API_KEY" \
     --data-urlencode "party_owner_id=own_019f34d6-1111-7777-8888-111111111111" \
     --data-urlencode "party_role=opponent" \
     --data-urlencode "proceeding_type=opposition" \
     --data-urlencode "office_code=uspto" \
     --data-urlencode "filed_date_gte=2021-01-01" \
     --data-urlencode "aggregations=outcome,party_role,nice_class,office_code,filed_year" \
     --data-urlencode "limit=2"
   

   import { Signa } from "@signa-so/sdk";
   
   const signa = new Signa({ api_key: process.env.SIGNA_API_KEY });
   
   const ownerTrackRecord = await signa.proceedings.list({
     party_owner_id: "own_019f34d6-1111-7777-8888-111111111111",
     party_role: "opponent",
     proceeding_type: "opposition",
     office_code: "uspto",
     filed_date_gte: "2021-01-01",
     aggregations: ["outcome", "party_role", "nice_class", "office_code", "filed_year"],
     limit: 2,
   });
   

   {
     "object": "list",
     "data": [
       {
         "id": "prc_019f34d6-aaaa-7777-8888-aaaaaaaaaaaa",
         "object": "proceeding",
         "trademark_id": "tm_019f34d6-2000-7777-8888-000000000001",
         "proceeding_type": "opposition",
         "proceeding_number": "91281234",
         "status": "decided_granted",
         "outcome": "challenger_won",
         "duration_days": 231,
         "office_code": "uspto",
         "filed_date": "2024-01-18",
         "decision_date": "2024-09-05",
         "contested_classes": [9, 42],
         "decision_outcome": "Opposition Sustained",
         "description": "Opposition proceeding",
         "created_at": "2024-01-18T10:00:00.000Z",
         "updated_at": "2024-09-05T10:00:00.000Z"
       },
       {
         "id": "prc_019f34d6-bbbb-7777-8888-bbbbbbbbbbbb",
         "object": "proceeding",
         "trademark_id": "tm_019f34d6-2000-7777-8888-000000000002",
         "proceeding_type": "opposition",
         "proceeding_number": "91274567",
         "status": "decided_rejected",
         "outcome": "challenger_lost",
         "duration_days": 289,
         "office_code": "uspto",
         "filed_date": "2023-03-01",
         "decision_date": "2023-12-15",
         "contested_classes": [9],
         "decision_outcome": "Opposition Dismissed",
         "description": "Opposition proceeding",
         "created_at": "2023-03-01T10:00:00.000Z",
         "updated_at": "2023-12-15T10:00:00.000Z"
       }
     ],
     "has_more": true,
     "pagination": {
       "cursor": "eyJpZCI6IjAxOWYzNGQ2In0"
     },
     "aggregations": {
       "outcome": {
         "challenger_won": 4,
         "challenger_lost": 2,
         "settled": 3
       },
       "party_role": {
         "opponent": 9,
         "respondent": 9
       },
       "nice_class": {
         "9": 6,
         "35": 2,
         "42": 3
       },
       "office_code": {
         "uspto": 9
       },
       "filed_year": {
         "2021": 1,
         "2022": 2,
         "2023": 3,
         "2024": 3
       }
     },
     "request_id": "req_019f34d6-track"
   }
   

   Because outcome is from the challenger perspective, challenger_won and default_judgment are wins for the opposer when party_role=opponent. challenger_lost is a loss. settled, withdrawn, and pending are not win/loss buckets, so keep them out of win-rate denominators.

2. Broaden to the resolved entity

   If the owner belongs to a resolved entity, repeat the query with party_entity_id. This expands the entity to member owner records before matching proceedings, which catches the same business acting through different owner names or offices.

   cURL

   curl -G "https://api.signa.so/v1/proceedings" \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer $SIGNA_API_KEY" \
     --data-urlencode "party_entity_id=ent_019f34d6-3333-7777-8888-333333333333" \
     --data-urlencode "party_role=opponent" \
     --data-urlencode "proceeding_type=opposition" \
     --data-urlencode "filed_date_gte=2021-01-01" \
     --data-urlencode "aggregations=outcome,party_role,nice_class,office_code,filed_year" \
     --data-urlencode "limit=1"
   

   import os
   import requests
   
   resp = requests.get(
       "https://api.signa.so/v1/proceedings",
       headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['SIGNA_API_KEY']}"},
       params={
           "party_entity_id": "ent_019f34d6-3333-7777-8888-333333333333",
           "party_role": "opponent",
           "proceeding_type": "opposition",
           "filed_date_gte": "2021-01-01",
           "aggregations": "outcome,party_role,nice_class,office_code,filed_year",
           "limit": 1,
       },
   )
   profile = resp.json()
   

   {
     "object": "list",
     "data": [
       {
         "id": "prc_019f34d6-cccc-7777-8888-cccccccccccc",
         "object": "proceeding",
         "trademark_id": "tm_019f34d6-2000-7777-8888-000000000003",
         "proceeding_type": "opposition",
         "proceeding_number": "91269001",
         "status": "decided_granted",
         "outcome": "default_judgment",
         "duration_days": 96,
         "office_code": "uspto",
         "filed_date": "2022-07-11",
         "decision_date": "2022-10-15",
         "contested_classes": [35],
         "decision_outcome": "Default judgment entered",
         "description": "Opposition proceeding",
         "created_at": "2022-07-11T10:00:00.000Z",
         "updated_at": "2022-10-15T10:00:00.000Z"
       }
     ],
     "has_more": true,
     "pagination": {
       "cursor": "eyJpZCI6IjAxOWYzNGQ2LWNjY2MifQ"
     },
     "aggregations": {
       "outcome": {
         "challenger_won": 8,
         "default_judgment": 1,
         "challenger_lost": 3,
         "settled": 4,
         "withdrawn": 1
       },
       "party_role": {
         "opponent": 17,
         "respondent": 17
       },
       "nice_class": {
         "9": 10,
         "35": 5,
         "42": 6
       },
       "office_code": {
         "uspto": 15,
         "euipo": 2
       },
       "filed_year": {
         "2021": 3,
         "2022": 4,
         "2023": 5,
         "2024": 5
       }
     },
     "request_id": "req_019f34d6-entity"
   }
   

   In this entity-wide profile, decided outcomes are 8 + 1 + 3 = 12, and challenger wins are 8 + 1 = 9, so the opposer’s decided win rate is 75%. The duration_days field on each returned proceeding lets you compute case length over the full paginated set. nice_class can sum above the proceeding count because one multi-class proceeding contributes to each contested class.

3. Inspect the contested mark

   Use the per-mark proceedings endpoint when you need the dispute history attached to the application you are defending.

   cURL

   curl "https://api.signa.so/v1/trademarks/tm_019f34d6-2000-7777-8888-000000000010/proceedings?proceeding_type=opposition&limit=20" \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer $SIGNA_API_KEY"
   

   const markProceedings = await signa.trademarks.proceedings(
     "tm_019f34d6-2000-7777-8888-000000000010",
     { proceeding_type: "opposition", limit: 20 },
   );
   

   {
     "object": "list",
     "data": [
       {
         "id": "prc_019f34d6-dddd-7777-8888-dddddddddddd",
         "proceeding_type": "opposition",
         "proceeding_number": "91284567",
         "status": "pending",
         "outcome": "pending",
         "duration_days": null,
         "filed_date": "2026-02-03",
         "decision_date": null,
         "decision_outcome": null,
         "parties": [
           {
             "owner_id": "own_019f34d6-1111-7777-8888-111111111111",
             "name": "Apex Outdoor Group LLC",
             "role": "opponent",
             "country_code": "US"
           },
           {
             "owner_id": "own_019f34d6-2222-7777-8888-222222222222",
             "name": "Meridian Labs Inc.",
             "role": "respondent",
             "country_code": "US"
           }
         ],
         "contested_classes": [9, 42],
         "description": "Opposition proceeding"
       }
     ],
     "has_more": false,
     "pagination": {
       "cursor": null
     },
     "request_id": "req_019f34d6-mark"
   }
   

   This mark-level view is the quickest way to confirm the active parties, the case number, and whether the mark has any prior opposition or cancellation history beyond the current matter.

4. Find other marks with proceeding history

   Use trademark search with has_proceedings=true to find marks in a portfolio that already have one or more proceedings. This is useful when you want comparable marks, repeat disputes, or a portfolio-level risk queue.

   cURL

   curl -G "https://api.signa.so/v1/trademarks" \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer $SIGNA_API_KEY" \
     --data-urlencode "owner_id=own_019f34d6-2222-7777-8888-222222222222" \
     --data-urlencode "has_proceedings=true" \
     --data-urlencode "include_total=true" \
     --data-urlencode "limit=10"
   

   marks = requests.get(
       "https://api.signa.so/v1/trademarks",
       headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['SIGNA_API_KEY']}"},
       params={
           "owner_id": "own_019f34d6-2222-7777-8888-222222222222",
           "has_proceedings": "true",
           "include_total": "true",
           "limit": 10,
       },
   ).json()
   

   {
     "object": "list",
     "data": [
       {
         "id": "tm_019f34d6-2000-7777-8888-000000000010",
         "object": "trademark",
         "mark_text": "MERIDIAN CORE",
         "mark_feature_type": "word",
         "mark_legal_category": "standard",
         "right_kind": "trademark",
         "status": {
           "primary": "pending",
           "stage": "opposition_period",
           "reason": null,
           "challenges": ["opposition_pending"]
         },
         "office_code": "wipo",
         "jurisdiction_code": "WO",
         "scope_kind": "international_registration",
         "filing_route": "madrid_ir",
         "origin_office_code": "US",
         "application_number": "98123456",
         "registration_number": null,
         "ir_number": "1734567",
         "filing_date": "2025-11-12",
         "registration_date": null,
         "expiry_date": "2035-11-12",
         "renewal_due_date": "2035-11-12",
         "classifications": [
           {
             "nice_class": 9,
             "goods_services_text": "Downloadable software for logistics management",
             "goods_services_text_truncated": false,
             "scope": "as_filed"
           },
           {
             "nice_class": 42,
             "goods_services_text": "Software as a service for logistics management",
             "goods_services_text_truncated": false,
             "scope": "as_filed"
           }
         ],
         "nice_classes": [9, 42],
         "owners": [
           {
             "id": "own_019f34d6-2222-7777-8888-222222222222",
             "name": "Meridian Labs Inc.",
             "country_code": "US",
             "entity_id": "ent_019f34d6-2222-7777-8888-222222222222",
             "entity_id_type": "derived"
           }
         ],
         "has_media": false,
         "primary_image_url": null,
         "updated_at": "2026-02-05T12:00:00.000Z",
         "highlights": null,
         "coverage": {
           "territory_count": 1,
           "by_primary": { "pending": 1 },
           "by_stage": { "opposition_period": 1 },
           "matched_territories": [],
           "territories": [
             {
               "territory": "US",
               "primary": "pending",
               "stage": "opposition_period",
               "protection_status": null,
               "designation_date": "2025-11-12",
               "protection_date": null
             }
           ],
           "href": "/v1/trademarks/tm_019f34d6-2000-7777-8888-000000000010/coverage"
         },
         "source_records": [],
         "owners_mixed": false
       }
     ],
     "has_more": false,
     "pagination": {
       "cursor": null,
       "total_count": 1,
       "total_count_approximate": false
     },
     "search_meta": {
       "search_id": "srch_019f34d6",
       "query": null,
       "strategies_used": [],
       "grain": "mark",
       "total_results": 1,
       "total_count_exact": true,
       "total_count_approximate": false,
       "execution_time_ms": 18
     },
     "request_id": "req_019f34d6-search"
   }
   

   After you find the relevant marks, call Trademark Proceedings for each mark that needs party-level detail.

Decision Checklist

• Compare owner-level and entity-level outcomes. A single owner may understate a corporate group’s dispute pattern.
• Treat default_judgment as a challenger win, but keep it visible because it means the respondent defaulted.
• Exclude settled, withdrawn, and pending when calculating a decided win rate.
• Review duration_days across decided proceedings to estimate how long a fight may run.
• Use nice_class and office_code buckets to see whether the opposer concentrates in the classes and offices that matter to your mark.

Related Reference

• List Proceedings
• Get Proceeding
• Trademark Proceedings
• Search Trademarks