What Does the 2020 Trademark Modernization Act Have in Store for Franchising?

With all of the legislation about COVID-19, the attack on the U.S. Capitol, the Inauguration, and the NFL playoffs, you might have missed the passing of the Trademark Modernization Act of 2020 into law (TMA 2020). And although many portions of the TMA 2020 won't become effective until Dec. 27, 2021, it is the most significant trademark legislation since the landmark Trademark Law Revision Act of 1988. Several of its provisions will be of great interest to the franchise community, and one in particular will have a significant impact in trademark infringement matters.