Revision Legal’s southwest Michigan office in Portage serves businesses throughout the Kalamazoo metro area with trademark registration, brand enforcement, and federal trademark litigation. Whether you are launching a new brand, expanding an existing trademark portfolio, or dealing with an infringer, our Kalamazoo-area trademark attorneys can help.
Trademark Services for Kalamazoo Area Businesses
Kalamazoo and the surrounding southwest Michigan region is home to manufacturers, medical device companies, food and beverage processors, and consumer brands that compete nationally and internationally. Your trademark is among your most valuable business assets — it deserves careful protection. Our trademark services include:
- Federal Trademark Registration — Clearance searches, strategic filing advice, USPTO prosecution, and office action responses to get your mark registered.
- Trademark Monitoring & Enforcement — Watch services to identify infringers early, followed by cease-and-desist letters and escalation when needed.
- TTAB Proceedings — Opposition and cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board to protect your mark from conflicting applications.
- Federal Trademark Litigation — Representation in U.S. District Courts in infringement, dilution, and unfair competition cases.
- Licensing & Assignment — Drafting trademark licensing agreements, co-existence agreements, and assignments to monetize and manage your brand portfolio.
More information is available on our trademark law overview, trademark infringement, and trademark licensing pages.
Local Knowledge, National Reach
Southwest Michigan First lists medical devices, health sciences, manufacturing, design, and food and beverage processing among the region’s key industries, and Kalamazoo is home to Stryker Corporation’s global headquarters. In industries like these, brand identity carries real weight with distributors, business customers, and consumers alike. Our Portage office gives Kalamazoo-area businesses direct access to trademark attorneys who have litigated in federal courts across the country and handle the full spectrum of trademark law, from initial registration to high-stakes brand disputes.
Eric Misterovich, founding partner, focuses on trademark law and brings a business-first perspective to every engagement. John Di Giacomo has represented clients in trademark litigation in multiple federal circuits. Together they give Kalamazoo businesses access to federal-court trademark experience without leaving southwest Michigan.
For companies launching new product lines, trademark clearance deserves attention before labels, packaging, and marketing materials are finalized. A name that appears available on a quick search can still conflict with an existing mark used for related goods in the same sales channels, and rebranding a product after launch is costly. Our trademark registration process starts with that clearance analysis.
Trademark Cases in Kalamazoo County: Federal and State Forums
Kalamazoo County is in the Southern Division of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, which has a courthouse in the Federal Building at 410 West Michigan Avenue in Kalamazoo. Lanham Act claims for infringement, dilution, false designation of origin, and counterfeiting against southwest Michigan businesses are commonly filed in that district, with appeals to the Sixth Circuit.
Because 28 U.S.C. § 1338(a) makes only patent, plant variety protection, and copyright claims exclusively federal, trademark disputes can also be litigated in state court. For Kalamazoo County, that is the 9th Circuit Court, whose civil docket covers disputes involving claims of $25,000 or more. Challenges to registrations themselves — oppositions and cancellations — go to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
Serving Kalamazoo and Southwest Michigan
From our Portage office, we serve clients throughout Kalamazoo County and southwest Michigan, including Kalamazoo, Portage, Battle Creek, Paw Paw, Sturgis, Coldwater, and surrounding communities. We also handle trademark matters for clients throughout Michigan and nationwide.
Contact a Kalamazoo Area Trademark Attorney
Call our Portage office at 269.281.3908 or contact us online to schedule a trademark consultation.
Revision Legal — Portage
8051 Moorsbridge Road
Portage, MI 49024
269.281.3908
Trademark FAQ for Kalamazoo-Area Businesses
What is a trademark clearance search, and do I need one?
A clearance search looks for existing registrations, pending applications, and unregistered uses that could conflict with the mark you want to adopt. It is not legally required, but filing without one risks a USPTO refusal or, worse, an infringement claim after you have invested in the brand. A useful search looks beyond exact matches to similar names used for related goods or services.
Is my Kalamazoo business name automatically protected as a trademark?
Not necessarily. Forming an LLC or corporation with the State of Michigan does not by itself create trademark rights, and it does not stop others from using a similar name in commerce. Trademark rights come from using a name to identify your goods or services, and a federal registration strengthens and clarifies those rights across the country.
What should I do if I receive a trademark cease-and-desist letter?
Do not ignore it, and do not rush to respond or rebrand. Note any deadline, preserve records showing when and how you began using the name, and have an attorney evaluate the strength of the claim. Many letters are resolved through negotiation, coexistence terms, or a phased transition, while others overstate rights the sender may not actually hold.
Can a trademark case involving a Kalamazoo company be filed in state court?
Yes. Federal law makes patent and copyright claims exclusive to federal court, but trademark claims are not on that list, so they can be heard in state court as well. In Kalamazoo County, that would be the 9th Circuit Court. Many trademark owners still choose the Western District of Michigan, which has a courthouse in downtown Kalamazoo.
Where is the Revision Legal office nearest Kalamazoo?
Our Portage office at 8051 Moorsbridge Road, Portage, MI 49024 serves Kalamazoo and the surrounding southwest Michigan communities. Call 269.281.3908 to schedule a consultation. Trademark searches, applications, and office action responses can typically be handled remotely, and we can meet in Portage when an in-person conversation is helpful.
More Practice Areas — Kalamazoo
Our Portage office serves the full Kalamazoo and southwest Michigan market across all practice areas.
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