Mark Containing Word That Is Both Noun And Verb Was Not Descriptive

1991-01-01

MARKCONTAININGWORDTHATWASBOTHNOUNANDVERBWASNOT
DESCRIPTIVE

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
InTraditionFineFoodsandKraftGeneralFoodsCanadaInc.(CourtFileNo.T-
855-90,April4,1991,unreported),Mr.Jus-ticeStrayeroftheTrialDivisionofthe
FederalCourtofCanadaheldthatthetrade-markSCOOPN’BAKEforcake
andmuffinmixeswasnotclearlydescriptiveordeceptivelymisdescriptive,
andthuswasregistrableunderSection12(1)(b)oftheTrade-MarksAct.The
rulingprovidedfurtherguidelinesintheinterpretationofSection12(1)(b).
ThefactsofthisappealfromadecisionoftheTrade-MarksOppositionBoard
(reportedat(1990),29C.P.R.(3d)348)areasfollows:OnFebruary10,1984,
TraditionFineFoodsLtd.appliedfortheregistrationofthetrade-markSCOOP
N’BAKEinassociationwithcakeandmuffinmixes,baseduponproposeduse
ofthetrade-markinCanada.Adisclaimertotherighttotheexclusiveuseof
theword”bake”apartfromthetrade-markwasentered.Duringthe
oppositionproceedings,TraditionFineFoodsLtd.amendeditsstatementof
warestocover”frozenandrefrigeratedcakeandmuffinmixes”.
Theopponent,thepredecessortoKraftGeneralFoodsCanadaInc.,alleged,
interalia,thatthetrade-markwasnotregistrableandwasnotdistinctive,in
thatSCOOPN’BAKEwaseitherclearlydescriptiveordeceptively
misdescriptiveofthecharacteroftheapplicant’swares.TraditionFineFoods
Ltd.deniedalltheallegationsinitscounterstatement,andbothpartiesfiled
evidencebeforetheOppositionBoard.
Sidingwiththeopponent,theOppositionBoardconcludedthatthetrade-
markSCOOPN’BAKEwas”clearlydescriptiveofthecharacterofthe
applicant’swareswhichdifferfromothercakeandmuffinmixeswhich
involveotherstepsintheirpreparation,suchasmixingortheadditionofother
ingredients.Asaresult,theaveragepurchaseroftheapplicant’sScoopN’
Bakecakeandmuffinmixeswouldimmediatelyreacttothetrade-markas
indicatingthatoneneedonlyscooptheproductintoamuffintinorcake

containerandthenbaketheproductinordertoobtainthedesiredcakeor
muffins.”
MustBeMoreThan”MereSuggestion”.ThedecisionofMr.JusticeStrayer
overturnedtheOppositionBoard’sdecision.Havingrestatedthatthequestion
ofdescriptivenessofatrade-markisoneoffact,Mr.JusticeStrayerindicated
thatanydecisionregardingthisquestionmustbemadeona”firstimpression”
basis,bearinginmindwhatmeaningisconveyedtotheaverageconsumer
bythetrade-mark.
Wasthetrade-markSCOOPN’BAKEclearlydescriptiveofthecharacterof
TraditionFineFoodsLtd.’swares,namely”frozenandrefrigeratedcakeand
muffinmixes”,astheOppositionBoardhadconcluded?Mr.JusticeStrayer
cametoadifferentconclusion:”Tobe`clearly’descriptivetheremustbe
morethana`mereimplicationorsuggestion’ofthenatureofthewares
[ThomasJ.Lipton,Ltd.v.SaladaFoodsLtd.(No.3)(1979)45C.P.R.(2d)157at
160(F.C.T.D.)].Themeaningofthetrade-markmustbe`easytounderstand,
self-evidentorplain…'[DrackettCo.ofCanadaLtd.v.AmericanHome
ProductsCorp.(1968)55C.P.R.29at24(Ex.Ct.)]Idonotthinkthatthe
averageconsumerwouldfindthetrade-mark`SCOOPN’BAKE’tobeeasyto
understandasadescriptionofthewares.Theword`scoop’isambiguous,
beingeitheranounoraverb.Forthosewhotakeittobeanoun,theywould
notlikelybemisledintothinkingthattheappellantissellinganobjectwhich
couldbedescribedasascoop[Seee.g.ThomasJ.Lipton
casecitedabove].
Iftheydid,thatwouldnotbedescriptiveofthewareactuallybeingsold
whichisabatter.Takenasaverb,theword`scoop’combinedwith`bake’
doesnot,Ibelieve,conveyanyclearmeaning.”
Mr.JusticeStrayerfurtherstated:”Iftosomethesewordsdoconveya
meaning,thenitisatbestthedescriptionofhowthewaremaybeused.
Accordingtotheevidencethisbattercaninfactbeusedinvariouswaysat
thestageofremovingitfromitsoriginalcontainerandputtingitinmuffinor
cakepans.Thismaybedonewithascoop,butitmayalsobedonefor
examplewithspoonsorwiththehands.Evenifthetrade-markwereaclear
descriptionofhowtheproductmaybeused,however,thisisnotenoughto
makeitdescriptive`ofthecharacterorqualityofthewares’asrequiredby
paragraph12(1)(b)oftheTrade-MarksAct[Jordan&Ste-MichelleCellarsLtd.
-LesCavesJordan&Ste-MichelleLtéev.T.G.Bright&Co.Ltd.(1984)81C.P.R.
(2d)103(F.C.A.)].”
Mr.JusticeStrayeremphasizedthefactthattheword”SCOOP”isbothanoun
andaverb.Insuchasituation,whenatrade-markincorporatesawordthatis
bothanounandaverbandwherethatwordcanhavedifferentmeanings,it
wouldappearthatatrade-markcannotbeeitherclearlydescriptiveor

deceptivelymisdescriptiveofthecharacterorqualityofthewaresin
associationwithwhichitisusedorproposedtobeused.Suchatrade-mark,
havinganambiguousmeaning,couldnotbe”easytounderstand,self-
evidentorplain”.
NotaDescriptionofCharacterorQuality.Finally,Mr.JusticeStrayerdrew
attentiontothefactthateveniftheexpressionSCOOPN’BAKEcouldbe
takenasadescriptionofthemethodofuseofthewares,thewordsincluded
inthisexpressiondidnotrefertoanyinherentqualityofTraditionFineFoods
Ltd.’swares.Thedescriptionofthemethodofservingormethodofuseof
wareswhichmaybefoundinatrade-markisthereforenotconsideredtobe
adescriptionofthecharacterorqualityofthosewares.
Mr.JusticeStrayer’sdecisionisareminderoftheimportanceofthewords
foundinSection12(1)(b)oftheAct:Atrade-markisnotregistrableifitis,inter
alia,clearlydescriptiveofthecharacterorqualityofwaresinassociationwith
whichitisused,notsimplyifitisdescriptiveofanextrinsicapplicationofthose
wares.
Publishedat(1991),5W.I.P.R.140-141underthetitleMarkContainingWord
ThatWasBothNounandVerbWasNotDescriptive.

LEGERROBICRICHARD,1991.

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