Expungement of a Trade-Mark Registration and Prior Use



EXPUNGEMENTOFATRADE-MARKREGISTRATIONANDPRIORUSE

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
FouadKelendjiv.DiplomatFullhalterGasellschaftKurz&RauchleGMBH&
Co.KG,2002FCA480(FederalCourtofAppeal;coram:Décary,Létourneau,
Nadon,J.A.)
OnDecember2
nd,2002,theFederalCourtofAppealoverruledthetrial
judge’sdecisiontomaintaintheregistrationofthemarkDIPLOMATandsent
thematterbacktotheTrialDivisionforjudgement.
Facts
FouadKelendji(the“Applicant”)istheownerofthetrade-markDIPLOMATE,
registeredinFebruary1968,forwatches,clocks,wristwatchesandpen.In
early1988,theApplicantdiscoveredthatDiplomatFullhalterGasellschaft
Kurz&RauchleGMBH&Co.KG(the“Respondent”)wasdistributingpens
underthemarkDIPLOMATandsentitaceaseandesistletter.InJuly1989,
afterusingitsmarkformorethanfiveyears,theRespondentfiledan
applicationtoregisterthesaidmark.TheRespondent©smarkDIPLOMATwas
registeredin1991.
TheApplicant,byitsmotionfiledinJune1997,askedtheCourttoexpunge
theregistrationofthetrade-markDIPLOMATinassociationwith“writing
instruments,namelyfountainpens,ballpoints,rollerballpensand
mechanicalpencils”,basedonitsprioruseandregistrationofthemark
DIPLOMATE.
FederalCourt,TrialDivision



















































LEGERROBICRICHARD,2003.*OfthelawfirmLEGERROBICRICHARD,g.p.andofthepatentandtrademarkagencyfirm
ROBIC,g.p.PublishedintheWorldTrademarkLawReporter.Publication293.003.



Themainissuebeforethetrialjudgeistheapplicationofsection17ofthe
Trade-marksAct(the“Act”),whichreadsasfollows:

17.(1)(…)
(2)Inproceedingscommencedaftertheexpirationoffiveyearsfromthe
dateofregistrationofatrade-markorfromJuly1,1954,whicheveristhelater,
noregistrationshallbeexpungedoramendedorheldinvalidontheground
oftheprevioususeormakingknownreferredtoinsubsection(1),unlessitis
establishedthatthepersonwhoadoptedtheregisteredtrade-markin
Canadadidsowithknowledgeofthatprevioususeormakingknown.
TheApplicant’snoticeofmotionwasfiledoverfiveyearsafterthe
registrationoftheRespondent’sDIPLOMATtrade-mark.Thetrialjudgealso
acknowledgedthattheevidenceindicatedthattheRespondent
commencedusingitsmarkinMay1983andthatatthattime,itwasnot
awarethattheApplicanthadpreviouslyusedthemarkDIPLOMATE,andonly
learnedofitinAugust1988whenitreceivedtheceaseanddesistletter.
Consequently,thetrialjudgeconsideredthattheApplicant’sproceeding
wasprescribedpursuanttosubsection17(2)oftheActandruledthatthe
registrationofthemarkDIPLOMATcouldnotbeexpungedoramendedor
heldinvalidonthegroundoftheprevioususeoftheDIPLOMATEtrade-mark.
FederalCourtofAppeal
[Thereisnoappealofthetrialjudge’sconclusionregardingtheprescription
ofsubsection17(2)oftheAct.]
However,thetrialjudgedidnotdealwiththegroundofexpungement
describedatparagraph18(1)a)oftheAct,namelythattheregistrationof
theDIPLOMATtrade-markisinvalidsinceitwasnotregistrableatthedateof
registration.Sincethisgroundisnotsubjecttothepreviouslymentionedfive
yearprescription,thetrialjudgehadtheobligationtoexamineit.Thematter
willconsequentlybere-examinedbytheTrialDivision.
Astothegrounddescribedatparagraph18(1)b)oftheAct,namelythatthe
registrationoftheDIPLOMATtrade-markisinvalidbecauseitisnotdistinctive
atthetimeproceedingsbringingthevalidityoftheregistrationintoquestion
arecommenced,theApplicantwillhavetheopportunitytoamendits
motionandallegesaidgroundofexpungement.





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marquesdecommerce,marquesdecertificationetappellationsd©origine;droitsd©auteur,propriétélittéraireet
artistique,droitsvoisinsetdel©artisteinterprète;informatique,logicielsetcircuitsintégrés;biotechnologies,
pharmaceutiquesetobtentionsvégétales;secretsdecommerce,know-howetconcurrence;licences,franchiseset
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ROBIC,agroupoflawyersandofpatentandtrademarkagentsdedicatedsince1892totheprotectionandthe
valorizationofallfieldsofintellectualproperty:patents,industrialdesignsandutilitypatents;trademarks,certification
marksandindicationsoforigin;copyrightandentertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,neighbouringrights;
computer,softwareandintegratedcircuits;biotechnologies,pharmaceuticalsandplantbreeders;tradesecrets,
know-how,competitionandanti-trust;licensing,franchisingandtechnologytransfers;e-commerce,distributionand
businesslaw;marketing,publicityandlabelling;prosecutionlitigationandarbitration;duediligence;inCanadaand
throughouttheworld.Ideaslivehere.