US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

15 U.S.C. § 1121

Jurisdiction of Federal courts; State and local requirements that registered trademarks be altered or displayed differently; prohibition

(a)
The district and territorial courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction and the courts of appeal of the United States (other than the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit) shall have appellate jurisdiction, of all actions arising under this chapter, without regard to the amount in controversy or to diversity or lack of diversity of the citizenship of the parties.
(b)
No State or other jurisdiction of the United States or any political subdivision or any agency thereof may require alteration of a registered mark, or require that additional trademarks, service marks, trade names, or corporate names that may be associated with or incorporated into the registered mark be displayed in the mark in a manner differing from the display of such additional trademarks, service marks, trade names, or corporate names contemplated by the registered mark as exhibited in the certificate of registration issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

July 5, 1946, ch. 54060 Stat. 440Pub. L. 97–164, title I, § 14896 Stat. 46Pub. L. 97–29696 Stat. 1316Pub. L. 100–667, title I, § 131102 Stat. 3946Pub. L. 105–330, title II, § 201(a)(10)112 Stat. 3070(, title VI, § 39, formerly §§ 39 and 39a, ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , .)

Editorial Notes

Codification

Pub. L. 100–667, § 131(b)(1)section 1121a of this title, transferred section 39a of act , which was classified to , to subsec. (b) of this section.

section 41 of Title 28In subsec. (a), the words “and the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia” following “the Courts of Appeal of the United States” have been deleted as superfluous in view of , Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, which includes the District of Columbia within the eleven judicial circuits of the United States. The word “and” has been inserted preceding “the courts of appeal of the United States” to preserve the conjunctive sense of the sentence.

Prior Provisions

Feb. 20, 1905, ch. 592, § 1733 Stat. 728Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, § 29136 Stat. 1167June 7, 1934, ch. 42648 Stat. 926June 25, 1936, ch. 80449 Stat. 1921Acts , ; , ; , ; , .

Amendments

Pub. L. 105–3301998—Subsec. (a). substituted “courts” for “circuit courts” before “of appeal of the United States”.

Pub. L. 100–667, § 131(a)1988—Subsec. (a). , designated existing provisions as subsec. (a).

Pub. L. 100–667, § 131(b)section 1121a of this titleSubsec. (b). , redesignated as subsec. (b) of this section and substituted “service marks” for “servicemarks” in two places.

Pub. L. 97–1641982— inserted “(other than the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit)”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1998 Amendment

Pub. L. 105–330section 201(b) of Pub. L. 105–330section 1051 of this titleAmendment by effective , 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 , set out as a note under .

Effective Date of 1988 Amendment

Pub. L. 100–667section 136 of Pub. L. 100–667section 1051 of this titleAmendment by effective one year after , see , set out as a note under .

Effective Date of 1982 Amendment

Pub. L. 97–164section 402 of Pub. L. 97–164section 171 of Title 28Amendment by effective , see , set out as a note under , Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.

Repeal and Effect on Existing Rights

section 1051 of this titleRepeal of inconsistent provisions, effect of this chapter on pending proceedings and existing registrations and rights under prior acts, see notes set out under .