What is one possible outcome when a cancellation of registration occurs?

When a cancellation of registration occurs, one relevant outcome is that the trademark may be republished or returned to the examining attorney. This situation arises after a cancellation proceeding in which the validity of a trademark registration is challenged. If the cancellation is successful, the trademark may no longer hold its status as a registered mark, but it does not mean that the trademark itself is necessarily destroyed or lost entirely.

Instead, the owner of the trademark might have the opportunity to address the issues that led to the cancellation, potentially allowing them to refile or amend their application to once again seek registration. Republishing could also indicate a chance for the trademark to be put back into the publication phase to allow for opposition or further review.

In this context, it’s important to understand that cancellation does not equate to the permanent loss of rights to the trademark itself, as owners may still have common law rights or the opportunity to pursue another registration based on the mark's prior use.