Curb records lost their T-Shirts and caps !

2009-01-01

CURBRECORDSLOSTTHEIRT-SHIRTSANDCAPS!

LAURENTCARRIÈREANDMARIE-MICHÈLEMCDUFF*
LEGERROBICRICHARD,
LLP
L
AWYERS,ANDPATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS

PRÉCIS:TheFederalCourtpartiallyreversedthedecisionoftheRegistrarofTrade-
marksas,onthebasisofadditionalevidence,theCourtfoundthat,atleastforsome
waresandservices,therewassufficientevidentofuseofthetrade-markregistered
byCurbRecords.
InthematterofMicheal
Curbv.Smart&Biggar,[2009FC47;2009-01-20],the
FederalCourtofCanadawasseizedforappealofadecisionoftheRegistrarof
trade-marksexpungingcertainwaresfromregistrationTMA521,953forthetrade-
markCURBRECORDS.TheRespondent,alawfirmactingforanundisclosed
client,andtheRegistrarofTrade-marks(hereinaftertheRegistrar)chosenotto
contesttheappeal.TheApplicant,Mr.MichaelCurb
(hereinafterCurb),isawell-
knownrecordproduceraswellastheownerofCurbRecordsandthetrade-mark
CURBRECORDS.
InCanada,Section45oftheTrade-marksAct(hereaftertheAct)providesinpart
thattheRegistrarmayatanytimeand,atthewrittenrequestmadeafterthreeyears
fromthedateofregistrationofatrade-markbyanyperson,shallgivenoticetothe
registeredownerofatrade-markrequiringittofurnishevidenceofuseofsaidtrade-
markwithrespecttoeachofthewaresorservicesspecifiedintheregistration,
whetherthetrade-markinquestionwasinuseinCanadaatanytimeduringthe
threeyearperiodimmediatelyprecedingthedateofthenotice.

Inthiscase,theRespondentaskedtheRegistrartoissueanoticeunderSection45
oftheActrequiringMr.Curbtoproveuseofhistrade-markCURBRECORDSin
Canadainassociationwitheachandeveryproductandservicelistedinthe
registrationduringthepastthreeyearspriortothedateofthenotice.The
registrationforCurbRecordsoriginallycovered:

©CIPS,2009.*Lawyerandtrade-markagent,LaurentCarrière,isaseniorpartnerwithLEGERROBICRICHARD,
LLP
amultidisciplinaryfirmoflawyers,andpatentandtrade-markagents.Marie-MichèleMcduffisan
articlingstudentwiththefirm.PublishedinaMarch2009issueofWorldMediaLawReport.
Publication328.063.

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Wares:Audioandaudio-visualrecordings;printedmaterials,namely
posters;clothing,namely,t-shirtsandcaps.

Services:Entertainmentservicesprovidedbypre-recordedandlive
music;andtheproduction,publishinganddistributionofaudioandaudio-
visualrecordings.
TheRegistrarfoundtheretobeinsufficientevidenceofuseofthetrade-markCURB
RECORDSinassociationwithcertainwaresandserviceslistedintheregistration;
consequentlysheorderedthatthetrade-markregistrationbeamended.

Thepointsinissuecanbesummarisedasfollows:1-WhatistheappropriatestandardofreviewoftheRegistrar’sdecision?
2-DidCurbusetheCurbRecordstrade-markinCanada,duringthe
relevantperiod,inassociationwitheachofthedeletedwaresand
services?

Withregardstochoosingtheappropriatestandardofreview,pursuanttosection56
oftheAct,onappealoftheRegistraroftrade-marks,theapplicantisentitledtofile
newevidence,whichCurbdid.Whennewevidenceisfiled,itmustbeestablished
thatitwouldhavemateriallyaffectedtheRegistrar’sfindingifithadbeenoriginally
presentedtoheratfirstinstance.TheCourtisthenentitledtoconsidertheissuede
novo,withoutdeferringtotheRegistrarorhavingtoidentifyanerrorcommittedby
her.Inthiscase,theCourtruledthatthenewevidencefiledwouldhavematerially
affectedtheRegistrar’sdecision,henceconsideringthematterdenovoexceptwith
respecttot-shirtsandcaps,decisiontostriketheseproductsfromtheregistration
wasfoundreasonable.
Section45oftheActrequirestheregisteredownerofatrade-marktofurnishan
affidavitorstatutorydeclaration«showing»theuseofthetrade-markinCanadaat
anytimeinthepastthreeyears;thismeanstheregistreredownercannotmerely
assertuse,hemust«show»use.Thenewevidenceprovidedinappealshowedthat
JoeDeeMessina,awellknownCountryandWesternartistrepresentedbyCurb
Records,releasedaCDinCanadaentitledDeliciousSurprise.ThisCDwassold
togetherwithaposterandwasthereforesufficienttodemonstrate“use”and
overturntheRegistrar’sdecisiononthatmatter.
Withrespecttoentertainmentservicesprovidedbypre-recorderedmusic,theCourt
alsofoundthataccesstothewebsitewww.curb.cominordertolistentopre-recorded
musicandtoviewvideosthroughtaservicelistenedtoinCanada,fromacomputer
locatedinCanada,wassufficientevidenceofuse.

Moreover,asregards«production,publishinganddistributionofaudioandaudio-
visualrecordings»inCanada,adistributionagreementbetweenCurbRecordsand

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EMIMusicCanadarevealedthatCurbRecords,hadproducedLisaBrokop’smusic
videofor«Wildflower».ThisparticularsongfromherCDwasreleasedduringthe
relevantperiodinVancouver,Canada.TheCourtwasthereforesatisfiedthatthis
newevidencewassufficienttoshowthatCurbrecordshadhiredthecompanyto
filmthevideo,andhadultimatecontroloverthemusicvideoproduced.

However,onthequestionoft-shirtsandcaps,theevidenceadducedbyCurbwas
consideredambiguousasitfailedtodemonstratethattheseproductshadbeensold
ordistributedinCanadainassociationwithCURBRECORDS.Theargumentin
appealfocusedparticularlyonwhethertherehadtobeasale,asopposedtoa
distributionbyothermeansinthenormalcourseofbusiness,inordertosatisfy
section4oftheAct.Photographsofcapsandt-shirtbearingtheCURBandCURB
RECORDSmarkwhichwouldhavebeensoldand/ordistributedintheUnitedStates
and/orCanadawerepresentedasevidence.
TheCourtfound,consideringtheevidenceasawhole,thatitcouldnotinferthat«t-
shirtsandcaps»wouldhavebeencommerciallyavailablefordistributionbysaleor
otherwiseinCanada.TheCourtdeemedtheevidencetobeinsufficientto«show»
useinCanada.JusticeHarringtonstatedthatneithertheRegistrarnortheCourt
wouldundertakeanexerciseofspeculation,butratherthattheyneededtodraw
properinferencefromproventhefacts.Furthermore,hestatedthatiftheseitems
hadbeensold,therewouldhavebeenaccountingrecordsdocumentingthesale,
particularlywhenitcomestotheGoodsandServicesTaxesthatcouldhavebeen
putforward.Absentthistypeofevidence,theJudgecouldnotconcludethatthe
trade-markCURBRECORDShadbeenusedinassociationwith“t-shirtsandcaps”.

Therefore,inthelightofwhatwaspreviouslyreasoned,theappealwasgrantedinpart,
theRegistrar’sdecisionof27March2008wassetasideandtheRegistrarwasordered
tomaintainCanadianTrade-MarkRegistrationNumberTMA521,953forCurb
Recordswiththeoriginallistofwaresandservices,exceptthatwares«clothing,
namely,t-shirtsandcaps»wasdeletedtherefrom.

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