Does Size Matter? Mark Appearing In Minuscule Type Not Considered Used, Federal Court Of Canada Rules in Expungement Case

2004-01-01

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DOESSIZEMATTER?MARKAPPEARINGINMINUSCULETYPENOTCONSIDERED
USED,FEDERALCOURTOFCANADARULESINEXPUNGEMENTCASE

By
BarryGamache*
LEGERROBICRICHARD,Lawyers
ROBIC,Patent&TrademarkAgents
CentreCDPCapital
1001Square-Victoria-BlocE–8
thFloor
Montreal,Quebec,CanadaH2Z2B7
Tel.:(514)9876242-Fax:(514)8457874
www.robic.ca-info@robic.com
Canada’sFederalCourtrecentlyruledthatatrade-markappearingin
minusculetypeaspartofalargerdesignwasnotactuallyusedandordered
itsexpungementfromthetrade-markregister(BrouilletteKosiePrincev.
AndrésWinesLtd.,2004CF812(June7,2004,Tremblay-Lamer,J.)).
CanadianwineproducerAndrésWinesLtd.istheownerofthewordtrade-
markINVINOVERITAS,whichwasregisteredinCanadainassociationwith
winesonOctober11,1974underregistrationTMA202,357,onthebasisofuse
ofsuchtrade-markinCanadasinceatleastasearlyas1961.
AttherequestofMontrealbasedtrade-markagentsBrouilletteKosiePrince,
theRegistraroftrade-marksissuedaSection45NoticetoAndrésWinesLtd.,
therecordedowneroftheINVINOVERITASregistration.UnderSection45of
Canada’sTrade-marksAct,R.S.C.1985,c.T-13,theRegistrarmayatanytime
and,atthewrittenrequestmadeafterthreeyearsfromthedateofthe
registrationofatrade-markbyanypersonwhopaystheprescribedfeeshall,
unlesstheRegistrarseesgoodreasontothecontrary,givenoticetothe
registeredownerofthetrade-markrequiringtheregisteredownertofurnish
withinthreemonthsanaffidavitorastatutorydeclarationshowing,with
respecttoeachofthewaresorservicesspecifiedintheregistration,whether
thetrade-markwasinuseinCanadaatanytimeduringthethreeyearperiod
immediatelyprecedingthedateofthenoticeand,ifnot,thedatewhenit
waslastsoinuseandthereasonfortheabsenceofsuchusesincethatdate.
Basically,Section45isa”UseItorLoseIt”provisionunderCanada’sTrade-
marksActwhichenablestheRegistrartoridtheregisteroftrade-markswhich
havebecomedeadwoodandarenolongeractivelyused.Itwassuch
Section45NoticewhichAndrésWinesLtd.receivedfromtheRegistraron

LEGERROBICRICHARD,2004*Publishedat(2004),18-8WorldIntellectualPropertyReport23underthetitle”Marks
AppearinginMinusculeTypeWasNot’Used’,FederalCourtRules”.Publication142.165.

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November16,2000.InresponsetotheNotice,AndrésWinesLtd.filed
evidenceofuseofitsINVINOVERITAStrade-mark,inaffidavitform,andthe
Registrar,afterreviewingtheevidence,decidedtomaintaintheregistration.
BrouilletteKosiePrince(probablyactingonbehalfofoneoftheirclientswho
wishedtoremainanonymous)appealedtheRegistrar’sdecisionbefore
Canada’sFederalCourt.OnappealBrouilletteKosiePrincearguedthat
AndrésWinesLtd.wasnotactuallymakinguseofitsINVINOVERITASmarkas
thewordsINVINOVERITASappearedinsmalltype,aminusculeportionofa
muchlargercoatofarmswhichappearedonitslabels.MadameJustice
Tremblay-LameragreedwithBrouilletteKosiePrinceandruledthatthemark
whichwasusedbyAndrésWinesLtd.wasnotthemarkithadregisteredthirty
yearsago:IntheCourt’sview,theregisteredmarkwasonlyconstitutedofthe
wordsINVINOVERITASwithoutanyaccompanyingdecorativeelement.The
markasusedwasseenasverydifferentthanthethreewordsINVINO
VERITAS:onAndrésWinesLtd.’slabels,thosewordsappearedonthelistelofa
coatofarmsandwasalwaysusedinsuchformat;moreover,intheCourt’s
view,thewordscouldnotbeseparatedfromthecoatofarmsandformeda
minusculepartofamuchlargerdecorativecomponentappearingon
AndrésWinesLtd.’slabels.TheCourtthereforeconcludedthatthemark
registeredwasnotthemarkusedandorderedtheexpungementof
registrationTMA202,357forthetrade-markINVINOVERITAS.
ItisworthnotingthattheCourt’sdecisionisadeparturefromthegenerally
acceptedrulethatanyregisteredword
mark(asopposedtoaregistered
designmark)willbefoundtobeusedaslongasthewordsformingthetrade-
mark(allofthemandnomore)appearonaparty’slabels(forwares)and
functionasatrade-marki.e.todistinguish,irrespectiveofthesizeofthose
words.Moreover,caselawisclearthatmorethanonetrade-markcanbe
usedonalabelandthattwoormoretrade-markscanco-existinclose
proximityonthesamelabelandallwillretaintheirindividuality(seefor
exampleRenaudCointreau&Ciev.CordonBleuInternationalLtd.,(2000)11
C.P.R.(4th)95(F.C.T.D.,Tremblay-LamerJ.),affirmed(2002)18C.P.R.(4th)415
(F.C.A.)).Moreover,registrationofwordmarksareencouragedasitgives
theirownersmoreflexibilitywhenusingthemwithdesigncomponents.Ifthis
recentdecisionisfollowed,itwouldappearthatsizedoesmatterwhenusing
atrade-mark.Trade-markownersinCanadamustthereforetakenoteand
exercisecarewhenusingtheirtrade-marksastheyshouldmakesurethat
thesemarkscaneasilybeseenbyconsumers.

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