1
MONOPOLYRIGHTSCANNOTBEEXAMINEDDURINGSUMMARYTRADE-MARK
EXPUNGEMENTPROCEEDINGS,RULESFEDERALCOURTOFAPPEALINOMEGA
CASE
BarryGamache*
LEGERROBICRICHARD
,LLP
Lawyers,Patent&TrademarkAgents
CentreCDPCapital
1001Victoria-Square–BlocE–8
thFloor
Montreal,Quebec,CanadaH2Z2B7
Tel.(514)9876242–Fax(514)8457874
info@robic.com-www.robic.ca
Inanimportantdecisionwhichdescribestheextent(andlimits)ofthe
authorityexercisedbytheRegistrarofTrade-marksduringsummary
expungementproceedingsundersection45oftheTrade-markAct,R.S.C.
1985,c.T-13(hereafter:the”Act”),Canada’sFederalCourtofAppealruled
thatthescopeofmonopolyrightsconferredbyaregistrationcouldnotbe
examinedduringasection45inquiry(OmegaSA(OmegaAG)(OmegaLtd.)
v.Ridout&MaybeeLLP,2005FCA306(F.C.A.,Desjardins,Létourneauand
Noël,JJ.A.,September20,2005)).
Section45istheAct’s”useitorloseit”provisionwhichallowstheRegistrarof
Trade-markstoexpungetrade-markregistrationswhicharenotinuse;
followingarequestmadebyanythirdparty,theRegistrarwillissueanotice
requiringthatanownershowuseofitsregisteredtrade-mark,failingwhich
suchmarkwillbeexpunged.Thus,section45providesinpart:
45.(1)TheRegistrarmayatanytimeand,atthewrittenrequestmade
afterthreeyearsfromthedateoftheregistrationofatrade-markbyany
personwhopaystheprescribedfeeshall,unlesstheRegistrarseesgood
reasontothecontrary,givenoticetotheregisteredownerofthetrade-
markrequiringtheregisteredownertofurnishwithinthreemonthsan
affidavitorastatutorydeclarationshowing,withrespecttoeachofthe
waresorservicesspecifiedintheregistration,whetherthetrade-mark
wasinuseinCanadaatanytimeduringthethreeyearperiod
immediatelyprecedingthedateofthenoticeand,ifnot,thedatewhen