An Order to Cease Using a Corporate Name : a Concurrent Juridiction



ANORDERTOCEASEUSINGACORPORATENAME:ACONCURRENT
JURISDICTION

By
CatherineBergeron*
LEGERROBICRICHARD,Lawyers,
ROBIC,Patent&TrademarkAgents
CentreCDPCapital
1001Square-Victoria-BlocE–8
thFloor
Montreal,Quebec,CanadaH2Z2B7
Tel.:(514)9876242-Fax:(514)8457874
info@robic.com–www.robic.ca
9042-5703QuebecInc.v.9089-6663QuebecInc.(2003),QuebecSuperior
Court,No.700-05-009674-007(CourvilleJ.)
ThisisamotionforapermanentinjunctionintroducedbytheApplicantsin
ordertopreventtheRespondentfromusingthecorporatename“Restaurant
L’Ancestral”.
Facts
TheApplicantshavebeenoperatingarestaurantsince1988underthename
“RestaurantL’Ancestral”.Since2000,theRespondenthasbeenoperatinga
restaurantalsocalled“RestaurantL’Ancestral”,approximatelythirty
kilometresawayfromtheApplicants’restaurant.Basedontheirprioruseof
thecorporatenameandonalikelihoodofconfusionbetweenthetwo
enterprises,theApplicantsimmediatelyservedaceasedanddesistletteron
theRespondentorderingachangeofitscorporatename.
TheRespondentproposedtosettlethematterbyadoptingthename
“RestaurantLaMaisonL’AncestralII”,buttheApplicantsremainedofthe
viewthatconfusionwasstillhighlylikelytooccurinthemindofthe
consumers.
TheRespondentclaimedthattheApplicantscouldnotbringthiscasebefore
theQuebecSuperiorCourt(whichisthecourtoforiginalgeneraljurisdiction),
andthattheywerelimitedtoadministrativeproceedingswhichcouldbe



















































©LEGERROBICRICHARD,2003.*OfthelawfirmLEGERROBICRICHARD,g.p.andofthepatentandtrademarkagencyfirm
ROBIC,g.p.PublishedintheWorldTrademarkLawReporter.Publication293.006.



broughtbeforetheInspectorGeneralofFinancialInstitutionsinaccordance
withtheActRespectingtheLegalPublicityofSoleProprietorships,
PartnershipsandLegalPersons.
QuebecSuperiorCourt’sdecision
Astotheconcurrentadministrativeandjudicialjurisdictions,CourvilleJ.held
thattheadministrativerecoursesbeforetheInspectorGeneralofFinancial
Institutionsarenotexclusiveanddonotprecludeapartyfromsimultaneously
seekingamotionforpermanentinjunctionbeforetheQuebecSuperior
Court.
Inthepresentcase,theCourtopinedthattheApplicants’rightsintheir
imageandreputationjustifiedlegalaction.
Withrespecttotheissueoflikelihoodofconfusion,CourvilleJ.alsoagreed
withtheApplicants’contentionandconcludedthattherewasalikelihoodof
confusionbetweenthetwonamesatissue,takingintoconsiderationallthe
surroundingcircumstancesincludingthefollowing:theApplicantshadprior
rightsinthename“RestaurantL’Ancestral”duetopriorcontinuoususe,the
twonamesarevisuallyandphoneticallysimilar,theApplicantshave
acquiredgoodwillinsame,thetworestaurantsareinproximitytoone
another,andtheparties’clienteleoverlaps.
Therefore,theQuebecSuperiorCourtgrantedtheApplicants’motionfor
permanentinjunctionprohibitinguseofthecorporatenames“Restaurant
L’AncestralII”and“RestaurantLaMaisonL’AncestralII”.
However,theQuebecSuperiorCourtdidnotgrantanydamagesinasmuch
astheApplicantsdidnotdemonstrateanymonetarylossensuingfromthe
Respondentactivities.



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ROBIC,ungroupedavocatsetdagentsdebrevetsetdemarquesde
commercevouédepuis1892àlaprotectionetàlavalorisationdelapropriété
intellectuelledanstouslesdomaines:brevets,dessinsindustrielsetmodèles
utilitaires;marquesdecommerce,marquesdecertificationetappellations
dorigine;droitsdauteur,propriétélittéraireetartistique,droitsvoisinsetde
lartisteinterprète;informatique,logicielsetcircuitsintégrés;biotechnologies,
pharmaceutiquesetobtentionsvégétales;secretsdecommerce,know-howet
concurrence;licences,franchisesettransfertsdetechnologies;commerce
électronique,distributionetdroitdesaffaires;marquage,publicitéet
étiquetage;poursuite,litigeetarbitrage;vérificationdiligenteetaudit;etce,
tantauCanadaquailleursdanslemonde.Lamaîtrisedesintangibles.
ROBIC,agroupoflawyersandofpatentandtrademarkagentsdedicated
since1892totheprotectionandthevalorizationofallfieldsofintellectual
property:patents,industrialdesignsandutilitypatents;trademarks,
certificationmarksandindicationsoforigin;copyrightandentertainmentlaw,
artistsandperformers,neighbouringrights;computer,softwareandintegrated
circuits;biotechnologies,pharmaceuticalsandplantbreeders;tradesecrets,
know-how,competitionandanti-trust;licensing,franchisingandtechnology
transfers;e-commerce,distributionandbusinesslaw;marketing,publicityand
labelling;prosecutionlitigationandarbitration;duediligence;inCanadaand
throughouttheworld.Ideaslivehere.