Federal Court of Appeal Confirms Descriptive Character of Trade-mark Associated with Golf Simulators

2011-01-11

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FEDERALCOURTOFAPPEALCONFIRMSDESCRIPTIVECHARACTEROF
TRADE-MARKASSOCIATEDWITHGOLFSIMULATORS

BARRYGAMACHE*
ROBIC,LLP
L
AWYERS,PATENT&TRADEMARKAGENTS

ArecentdecisionbytheFederalCourtofAppealhasconfirmedearlierdecisions
renderedbytheRegistrarofTrade-marksandtheFederalCourtrejectingan
applicationtoregisterthetrade-markHIGHDEFINITIONGOLFinassociationwith
golfsimulatorsbecauseofthetrade-mark’sdescriptivecharacter(InteractiveSports
TechnologiesInc.v.AttorneyGeneralofCanada,2011FCA261(F.C.A.),Sharlow,
Layden-StevensonandStratasJJ.A.,September20,2011).

OnOctober18,2005,InteractiveSportsTechnologiesInc.(hereafterthe“applicant”),
amanufacturerandvendorofgolfsimulatorsbasedinConcord,Ontario,fileda
proposeduseapplicationforthetrade-markHIGHDEFINITIONGOLFinassociation
withgolfsimulators.TheapplicantbeganusingitsHIGHDEFINITIONGOLFtrade-
markinassociationwithgolfsimulatorsaroundDecember2005.

Duringtheprosecutionoftheapplicant’strade-markapplication,theExaminerissued
successivereportsobjectingtotheregistrationofthetrade-markHIGHDEFINITION
GOLF.InafirstreportdatedApril11,2006,theExaminerwrotethatthetrade-mark
HIGHDEFINITIONGOLFwaseither“clearlydescriptiveordeceptivelymisdescriptive
ofthecharacter”oftheapplicant’sgolfsimulatorssincethetrade-markclearly
indicatesthattheapplicant’swares“arehighdefinitiongolfsimulators”.

AsecondreportwasissuedbytheExamineronFebruary12,2008.Inamore
detailedcommunicationtotheapplicant,theExaminerstatedthatthetrade-mark
HIGHDEFINITIONGOLF“clearlydescribes,inawaythatiseasytounderstand,that
thegolfsimulatorsaredevicesusinghighdefinitiontechnologytoplayvirtualgolf”.

Finally,adecisionrefusingtheapplicant’sapplicationwashandeddownonMay15,
2009.Inherreasons,theRegistrarwrotethattheissueofdescriptivenessshouldbe
consideredfromthepointofviewoftheaverageconsumerofthegolfsimulators,asa
matteroffirstimpression.Shealsoconsideredthedefinitionoftheexpression“HIGH

©CIPS,2011.*BarryGamacheisamemberofROBIC,LLP,amultidisciplinaryfirmoflawyers,patentand
trademarkagents.Publishedat(November2011),25:11WorldIntellectualPropertyReport.
Publication142.256.

DEFINITION”foundintheMerriam-WebsterOnlineDic
tionarywhichreads“…being
orrelatingtoanoftendigitaltelevisionsystemthathastwiceasmanyscanlinesper
frameasaconventionalsystem,aproportionallysharperimage,andawide-screen
format”.TheRegistrarconcludedthatthetrade-markHIGHDEFINITIONGOLF
describedtoordinaryCanadianconsumersthattheapplicant’sgolfsimulatorsused
highdefinitiontechnology.Moreover,othertradersshouldbeabletohighlightthefact
thattheyalsousesimilartechnology.Inotherwords,thesewordsshouldnotbe
appropriatedbyasingleentity.
TheapplicantappealedtheRegistrar’sdecisionbeforetheFederalCourtandfiled
evidenceinordertotrytoconvincetheCourttoallowitsappeal.Forexample,the
applicantfiledevidenceofvariousparticularsoftrade-markapplicationsand
registrationsintheCanadianTrade-marksDatabasethatbelongtothirdparties;
thesedocumentsincorporatethewords“highdefinition”andrelatetothefollowing
waresandservices:optometry,lasereyesurgery;eyeglasses;cosmetics;roofing
shingles;fabricsandhardsurfacescontainingcamouflagepatterns;laminates,
laminateflooringandfurniture;hearingaids;lightingfixturesandlightbulbsand
stainlesssteelflatware.
Despitethisevidence,SimpsonJ.wasnotpersuadedthattheexpressionHIGH
DEFINITIONhasmultiplemeanings.Inherview,itwasreasonablefortheRegistrar
toconcludethatthetrade-markHIGHDEFINITIONGOLFreferredtoagolfsimulator
thatincorporatedhighdefinitiontechnologyinitsvideoscreen.IntheCourt’sview,
theapplicant’sownmarketingmateriallentsupporttothepropositionthatthe
applicant’ssimulatorusedhighdefinitiontechnology.Forexample,theapplicant’s
materialstated:“Ourrevolutionaryimageprocessingsoftwarecombineshigh
resolutiondigitalimagesandsatellitedataintoa3Dmodelofagolfcoursetoproduce
atotallyrealisticindoorgolfexperience…”“HighDefinitionGolf™-Itlookslikethe
realthing!…HDTVcompatibledisplaydelivers…”
SimpsonJ.thereforeconcludedthattheRegistrar’sdecisionwasreasonableandthat
theapplicant’sappealshouldbedismissed(InteractiveSportsTechnologiesInc.v.
AttorneyGeneralofCanada,2010FC1296(F.C.),SimpsonJ.,December16,2010).

TheapplicantfiledafurtherappealagainsttheFederalCourtdecisionbeforethe
FederalCourtofAppeal.
IntheFederalCourtofAppeal’sview,theFederalCourtjudgewasrighttorejectthe
applicant’scontentionthattheimmediateimpressionconveyedbytheHIGH
DEFINITIONGOLFtrade-markwasaprecisionlearningtoolthatanalyzedauser’s
swing.Rather,itwasreasonablefortheFederalCourtjudgetoconcludethatthe
applicant’smarkreferredtoagolfsimulatorthatincorporatedhighdefinition
technology.Becauseofthis,theclearlydescriptivecharacterorqualityofthemark
HIGHDEFINITIONGOLFprecludeditsregistration.Theapplicant’sappealwas
accordinglydismissed.

Thiscaseillustratesthedifficultiesassociatedwithobtainingmonopolisticrightsto
protectdescriptivetrade-marks.Whilecertainlyusefulfromamarketingpointofview,
marksthatdescribethecharacterofthewaresassociatedtherewithwillusuallynot
beregisteredsincetheyshouldbeavailableforothertraderstouseaswell.This
shouldbekeptinmindwhenchoosingatrade-mark.Alessdescriptivetrade-markis
usuallyastrongermark.

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