Individual's Infringement Suit Against PNC Was Precluded by TTAB Decision

On June 14, 2016, the Fourth Circuit affirmed a decision in favor of Finnegan client PNC dismissing a trademark infringement suit involving its trademark for SPENDOLOGY, an online money management tool. The case was initially litigated at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), where PNC prevailed on a motion for summary judgment on the issue of trademark priority. The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court ruling on the grounds that the issue of priority decided by the TTAB was identical to the issue of priority presented to the district court.