FREEDISTRIBUTIONOFNEWSLETTERDOESNOTQUALIFYASUSEUNDER
CANADA’STRADE-MARKSACT,SENIORTRADE-MARKHEARINGOFFICERRULES
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
Inarecentdecision,SeniorTrade-markHearingOfficerDeniseSavardofthe
Section45DivisionofCanada’sTrade-marksOfficefoundthatthefree
distributionofanewsletterwasnotdoneinthenormalcourseoftradeas
describedinSubsection4(1)ofCanada’sTrade-marksAct,R.S.C.(1985)c.T-
13(Inre:Barlow,Menard&Associates-ADivisionofFlansberry,Menard&
AssociatesInc.,registrationTMA343,172,D.Savard,T.M.S.H.O.,February14,
2002).
OnOctober18,2000,followingarequestmadeby88766CanadaInc.,
Canada’sRegistrarofTrade-marksforwardedanoticeunderSection45of
Canada’sTrade-marksActtoBarlow,Menard&Associates-ADivisionof
Flansberry,Menard&AssociatesInc.,theregisteredownerofthedesign
trade-markTHETRADEMARKERregisteredforaperiodicalpublication.
Section45oftheTrade-marksActprovidesthat,followingthewrittenrequest
madebyanypersonwhopaystheprescribedfees,theRegistrarshallgive
noticetotheregisteredownerofatrade-markrequiringsuchownertofurnish
anaffidavitwithrespecttoeachofthewaresorservicesspecifiedinthe
registrationshowingwhetherthetrade-markwasinuseinCanadaatany
timeduringthethree(3)yearperiodimmediatelyprecedingthedateofthe
notice.ByreasonoftheevidencefurnishedtotheRegistrar,ifitappearsthat
atrade-mark,eitherwithrespecttoallorsomeofthewaresorservices
specifiedintheregistration,wasnotusedinCanada,theregistrationofthe
trade-markisliabletobeexpungedoramendedaccordingly.Essentially,the
procedureunderSection45isdesignedtogetridoftrade-markswhichcan
bedescribedas”deadwood”ontheregister.