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Concurrent use is a type of federal trademark registration that permits use of a trademark by more than one group or agency. In the U.S., a concurrent use application is made through the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). USPTO involvement is required to prevent marketplace confusion.
Techopedia Explains Concurrent Use
As a direct trademark law protection, concurrent use is primarily enforced by the U.S. federal government and may be found in Title 15 of the U.S. Code, also known as the Lanham Act. However, trademark usage is also enforced under state laws. In digital rights management (DRM), concurrent use licensing pertains to multiple simultaneous users. A license may be purchased by organizations, schools or businesses. The fee for concurrent usage is priced per copy.
Concurrent use applications may split up geographic usage, which facilitates trademark sharing between related organizations. For example, one party may be permitted to use a trademark within a 50 mile radius, while another party may be permitted to use the same trademark within a different radius. In rare cases, the senior applicant or first party to apply for concurrent use is granted territorial trademark usage rights.
