Trademark cancellation proceedings outline the process for a trademark owner to file a request to cancel a registered trademark. Some trademark owners may wish to cancel their own trademarks to relieve personal ties or business obligations, although most commonly trademark owners will file a request to cancel the trademark of another party. It is important to note that a petition to cancel a trademark of another party must demonstrate that the mark is presently damaging to the trademark rights of themselves or other parties. Trademark cancellation proceedings may be on any number of legal bases, including: abandonment, priority, fraud or generality. In any case, trademark cancellation proceedings function similarly to a civil law suit and require a specific legal understanding of ownership rights and trademark laws.