I
NTENTIONTORESUMEUSEOFAMARKISNOTA“SPECIAL
CIRCUMSTANCE”JUSTIFYINGNONUSE,FEDERALCOURTOFAPPEAL
RULES
STELLASYRIANOS*
LEGERROBICRICHARD,
LLP
L
AWYERS,PATENT&TRADEMARKAGENTS
Inanimportantjudgmentregardingwhatconstitutes“specialcircumstances”
amountingtoexcusablenon-useinexpungementproceedingsundersection45of
theTrade-marksAct,R.S.C.1985,c.T-13(hereafter:the”Act”),theFederalCourtof
AppealupheldtheFederalCourt’sdecision,overturningtheRegistrar’srulingto
maintainregistrationofthetrade-markVANITY,afterconcludingthattherelevant
inquiryastowhetherspecialcircumstancesexistisaninquiryintothereasonsfor
thenon-use(ScottPaperLimitedv.Smart&BiggarandtheAttorneyGeneralof
Canada,2007FCA129(Pelletier,J.A.,April4,2008).
Section45oftheTrade-marksAct©sisthe”useitorloseit”provisionallowingthe
Registrar,viaadministrativeproceedingstoexpungetrade-markregistrationsfor
marksnotinuse.Followingarequestmadebyanythirdparty,theRegistrarwill
issueanoticerequiringthataRegistrantshowuseofitsregisteredtrade-markor
justifyitsnon-useduetospecialcircumstances,failingwhichsuchmarkwillbe
expunged.
TheRegistrar’sdecision
OnApril29,2002,theRegistrarofTrade-marksforwardedaNoticetotheScott
PaperLimited(“Appellant”)requiringthatitfurnishanaffidavitorastatutory
declarationshowingwhetherthetrade-markVANITYwasinuseinCanadaatany
timeduringthethreeyearperiodimmediatelyprecedingthedateoftheNoticeandif
not,thedatewhenitwaslastsoinuseandthereasonfortheabsenceofsuchuse
sincethatdate.
TheAppellantsubmittedtheaffidavitofitMarketingandLegalAffairsManagerwho
deposedthatasofthedateoftheNotice,theAppellant’splanswerealready
underwaytocommenceuseofthemarkin2002.Inlatesummer2001theAppellant