Alleged descriptiveness of Canada’s healthiest grocery store trade-mark examined by registrar in opposition case

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ALLEGEDDESCRIPTIVENESSOFCANADA’SHEALTHIESTGROCERYSTORE
TRADE-MARKEXAMINEDBYREGISTRARINOPPOSITIONCASE

BARRYGAMACHE*
ROBIC,LLP
L
AWYERS,PATENT&TRADEMARKAGENTS

Inadecisionthatoffersguidelinestodeterminewhenatrade-markisclearly
descriptiveandthusunregistrableunderCanada’sTrade-marksAct,RSC1985,cT-
13(the“Act”),theRegistrarofTrade-marksrecentlyanalyzedwhetherthetrade-
markCANADA’SHEALTHIESTGROCERYSTOREwasclearlydescriptiveornot
(LoblawsInc.v.WholeFoodsMarketIP,L.P.,2016TMOB81(CanLII),May31,
2016).
OnFebruary2,2012,WholeFoodsMarketIP,L.P.(the“Applicant”)filedan
applicationwiththeRegistrarofTrade-markstoregisterthetrade-markCANADA’S
HEALTHIESTGROCERYSTORE(the“Mark”)inassociationwithservicesdescribed
as“retailgrocerystoreservices”.TheApplicantclaimedinitsapplicationthatithad
useditsMarksinceatleastasearlyasJanuary30,2012.

Thisapplicationproceededuneventfullyattheexaminationstageandwaspublished
foroppositionpurposesonNovember7,2012.
OnMarch28,2013,LoblawsInc.(the“Opponent”),aCanadiansupermarketchain,
filedastatementofoppositionagainsttheApplicant’sapplication.Initsstatementof
opposition,theOpponentessentiallyallegedthatthetrade-markCANADA’S
HEALTHIESTGROCERYSTOREwasnotregistrableundersection12(1)(b)ofthe
Act.Thisprovisionstatesthatatrade-markisregistrableifitisnot“whetherdepicted,
writtenorsounded,eitherclearlydescriptiveordeceptivelymisdescriptiveinthe
EnglishorFrenchlanguageofthecharacterorqualityofthegoodsorservicesin
associationwithwhichitisusedorproposedtobeusedoroftheconditionsoforthe
personsemployedintheirproductionoroftheirplaceoforigin”.

TheOpponentarguedthatthetrade-markCANADA’SHEALTHIESTGROCERY
STOREiseitherclearlydescriptiveordeceptivelymisdescriptiveofthecharacter
and/orqualityoftheApplicant’sretailgrocerystoreservices.Accordingtothe

©CIPS,2016.*BarryGamacheisamemberofROBIC,LLP,amultidisciplinaryfirmoflawyers,patentand
trademarkagents.PublishedunderthetitleWholeFoods’s’Canada’sHealthiestGroceryStore’Mark
Denied,(2016)30:9WorldIntellectualPropertyReport42-43.Publication142.310.

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Opponent,theApplicant’sMarkindicatesanintrins
iccharacterofitsservicesnamely
thattheApplicantprovides“Canada’shealthiestgrocerystore”.

BeforeembarkingonadiscussionoftheOpponent’sallegation,theRegistrar
(representedbyTrade-marksOppositionBoardMemberLisaReynolds)explained
thatthepurposeoftheprohibitionfoundinsection12(1)(b)oftheActistoprevent
anysingletraderfromappropriatingwordswithintherangeoflanguagethatwould
ordinarilybeusedbyothertraderstodescribeparticulargoodsorservices,thereby
placinglegitimatecompetitorsatadisadvantage(paragraph13oftheRegistrar’s
reasons).
Moreover,theRegistrarprovidedanoutlineofthegoverningprinciplesthatmustbe
appliedwhenexamininganallegationthatatrade-markisclearlydescriptive.The
testthatmustbecarriedoutisoneoffirstimpressioninthemindofanormalor
reasonableperson.Becausesection12(1)(b)oftheActincludestheword“clearly”
beforetheword“descriptive”,theideathatisconveyedbythesupposedlydescriptive
trade-markmustbe“self-evident,plainormanifest”.Ontheotherhand,ifthe
significanceofatrade-markisuncertaininrelationtothegoodsorservicesorifthe
trade-markinquestionisonlysuggestiveofameaning,thenthewordsatissueare
notclearlydescriptive.
Whenanalyzingwhetheratrade-markcontravenessection12(1)(b)oftheAct,the
Registrarfurthernotedthatacriticalanalysisofthewordsformingthetrade-mark
shouldnotbecarriedout;instead,theimmediateimpressioncreatedbythetrade-
markinassociationwiththerelatedgoodsandservicesshouldbeascertained.In
section12(1)(b),theword“character”meansa“feature,traitorcharacteristic
belongingtothegoodsorservices”(paragraph14oftheRegistrar’sreasons).

Finally,theissueofcleardescriptivenessshouldbeexaminedfromtheperspective
oftheordinary,everydaypurchaseroruserofthespecificgoodsorservicesatissue.
Theopinionofexpertsisusuallynotrepresentativeofsuchordinary,everyday
purchaser.Whenexamininganallegationofcleardescriptiveness,theRegistrarcan
obviouslyconsidertheevidenceathisorherdisposalbutmayalsoapplycommon
senseintheexaminationofthefacts(NeptuneSAvAttorneyGeneralofCanada
(2003),29CPR(4th)497(FCTD)atpara11).
TheOpponentarguedthat“Canada’sHealthiestGroceryStore”isaphraseinthe
Englishlanguagethatcanbereadilyunderstood.AccordingtotheOpponent,thisis
aphrasethatsaysoutrightthattheApplicant’sservicespossesscertain
characteristics.IntheOpponent’sview,thisisnotacaseofasubtlesuggestionbut
ratheroneofatrade-markthatoffendstheprovisionsofsection12(1)(b)oftheAct.

Foritspart,theApplicantsubmittedthatitwasunclearwhatexactlytheMarkmeant.
Itasked:whatdoesitmeanforagrocerystoretobehealthy,letalonethehealthiest?
Forexample,itarguedthatafinancialanalystormanagementconsultantmaysaya
storeishealthyifithasastrongbalancesheet;ontheotherhand,anoccupational

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therapistorhumanresourcesprofessionalmaytake
thepositionthatastoreis
healthyifitsemployeesscorewellinanytypeofmedicalassessmenttestwhilea
buildinginspectormaystatethatastoreishealthyifitisfreeofanytypeofhealth
hazards.
TheapproachsuggestedbytheApplicantwasnotconsideredfavorablybythe
Registrarwhoremindedthepartiesthatitistheperceptionofthenormalor
reasonablepersonseeingtheMarkinthespecificcontextofgrocerystoreservices
thatisrelevant.
Alternatively,theApplicantsubmittedthattheMarksuggestedthatitsowneris
committedto“policiesandcorevaluesthatitconsiderstobebestpracticesfor
health-consciousfoodretailers”.Whilethismightbethecase,theRegistrarnoted
thattheevidenceontheissuewasvague.Inanyevent,theRegistrarwasunableto
drawanymeaningfulconclusionsregardingtheextenttowhichCanadianconsumers
wouldhavehadanyawarenessorunderstandingoftheApplicant’scorevaluesor
thephilosophybehinditsservices(paragraph35oftheRegistrar’sreasons).

Intheend,theRegistrarconcludedthat,asamatteroffirstimpression,uponseeing
theMarkinthecontextoftheApplicant’sservices,theconsumerisnotifiedofthe
characterandqualityofthoseservices,namely,thattheApplicantisproviding
Canada’s“healthiest”grocerystore(paragraph37oftheRegistrar’sreasons).
Moreover,thereisnothinguniqueorunusualinthewordschosentocomposethe
Mark.Inshort,theMark’smessageisclear,self-evidentandplain.TheOpponent’s
oppositionwasconsequentlyallowed.
Thiscaseaptlyillustratesthetensionthatexistsbetweenthosewho,formarketing
reasons,favortrade-markshavingaclearmessageandthosewho,forlegal
reasons,favoradoptingregistrabletrade-markswhosemeaningmightbelessclear.
Fromastrictlylegalstandpoint,themeaningoftrade-marksadoptedforthe
Canadianmarketshouldneverbeclearlyobviousasitrelatestotheirassociated
goodsorservicessincetherequirementsofsection12(1)(b)oftheActregardingthe
prohibitionofcleardescriptivenesscanbeabartoregistration,astheRegistrar
foundinthiscase.

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Pourdesservicesdeconseilsdansledomainedelapropriété
intellectuelleetdestechnologiesdel’informationetdescommunications
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commercevouédepuis1892àlaprotectionetàlavalorisationdelapropriété
intellectuelledanstouslesdomaines:brevets,dessinsindustrielsetmodèles
utilitaires;marquesdecommerce,marquesdecertificationetappellations
d’origine;droitsd’auteur,propriétélittéraireetartistique,droitsvoisinsetde
l’artisteinterprète;informatique,logicielsetcircuitsintégrés;biotechnologies,
pharmaceutiquesetobtentionsvégétales;secretsdecommerce,know-howet
concurrence;licences,franchisesettransfertsdetechnologies;commerce
électronique,distributionetdroitdesaffaires;marquage,publicitéet
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agroupoflawyersandofpatentandtrademarkagentsdedicatedsince1892to
theprotectionandthevalorizationofallfieldsofintellectualproperty:patents,
industrialdesignsandutilitypatents;trademarks,certificationmarksand
indicationsoforigin;copyrightandentertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,
neighbouringrights;computer,softwareandintegratedcircuits;
biotechnologies,pharmaceuticalsandplantbreeders;tradesecrets,know-
how,competitionandanti-trust;licensing,franchisingandtechnology
transfers;e-commerce,distributionandbusinesslaw;marketing,publicityand
labelling;prosecutionlitigationandarbitration;duediligence.
®/MD

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PATENTER
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