Yahoo may soon file opposition to AOL’s Instant Messenger trademark at the U-S Patent and Trademark Office (also known as USPTO). Yahoo’s Attorney David M. Kelly filed four separate requests for additional time to investigate the claim.

AOL has used the term “Instant Messenger” since 1997, though several adversaries disputed the term “Instant Messenger” as a general phrase to depict text messaging services and platforms in general.

The USPTO overturned previous refusals in 2005, granting AOL the rights to the phrase. The USPTO decided that “instant messaging” remained generic, not Instant Messenger. The ruling said users related Instant Messenger to AOL’s AIM service. Webpronews could not reach a Yahoo spokesperson for a comment as to why Yahoo suddenly filed the opposition.