Must a Trade-Mark Distinguish for it to Be Used?
MUSTATRADE-MARKDISTINGUISHFORITTOBEUSED?
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
MembersofCanada’slegalcommunitypractisinginintellectualpropertywill
notbereadingthereasonsofCanada’sSupremeCourtinthecaseofUnited
GrainGrowersLtd.v.LangMichener,SupremeCourtofCanadadocket
28544,atrade-markcasewhichwouldhavejoinedthehandfulofcases
concerningtrade-marksheardoverthelasttwodecadesbytheSupreme
CourtandthefirstconcerningCanada’sexpungementproceedingsunder
Section45oftheTrade-marksAct,(R.S.C.1985,c.T-13)
ThematterinUnitedGrainGrowersLtd.v.LangMichenerwasscheduledto
beheardduringtheFall2002termoftheSupremeCourt;however,
discontinuanceoftheappealwasfiledonMay15,2002,whilethetrade-mark
atissuewasassignedfromUnitedGrainGrowersLtd.totheclientofattorneys
LangMichener.Thisbeingsaid,theissuesraisedbytheappealcontinuetobe
ofinterest.
ThefactsoriginatefromaSection45noticeissuedbytheRegistrarofTrade-
marksonMarch4,1997,attherequestofMessrs.LangMichener(onbehalfof
theirclient),toUnitedGrainGrowersLtd.(«UnitedGrainGrowers»),the
registeredownerofthetrade-markCOUNTRYLIVING,seekingproofofuseof
suchmark.
Section45ofCanada’sTrade-marksActprovidesinteralia:“TheRegistrar
mayatanytimeand,atthewrittenrequestmadeafterthreeyearsfromthe
dateoftheregistrationofatrade-markbyanypersonwhopaysthe
prescribedfeeshall,unlesstheRegistrarseesgoodreasontothecontrary,
givenoticetotheregisteredownerofthetrade-markrequiringtheregistered
ownertofurnishwithinthreemonthsanaffidavitorastatutorydeclaration
showing,withrespecttoeachofthewaresorservicesspecifiedinthe
©LEGERROBICRICHARD,2002.*OftheLawfirmLEGERROBICRICHARD,g.p.andthePatentandTrademarkAgencyFirmROBIC,
g.p.Publication142.144.
registration,whetherthetrade-markwasinuseinCanadaatanytimeduring
thethreeyearperiodimmediatelyprecedingthedateofthenoticeand,if
not,thedatewhenitwaslastsoinuseandthereasonfortheabsenceof
suchusesincethatdate”.Failuretoestablishusemayleadtoexpungement
ofthemark.
UnitedGrainGrowers’trade-markCOUNTRYLIVINGwasregisteredin
associationwith“printedperiodicals,namelymagazines”.Inresponsetothe
Section45notice,itfiledtheaffidavitofitsManagingDirectorofPublications
whichpurportedtoshowuseofthetrade-markCOUNTRYLIVINGin
associationwithmagazines.
Inherdecision,theRegistrarconsideredtheevidencesubmittedand
determinedthattheissuewaswhethersuchevidenceshoweduseofthe
words“COUNTRYLIVING”asatrade-markformagazines.
AccordingtotheRegistrar,theevidencerevealedthatCOUNTRYLIVINGwas
asectionamongmanyidentifiedsectionsinthetableofcontentsina
magazineentitled“CountryGuide”.
Othersectionsofthemagazinealsoappearedinthetableofcontents,for
example,LaborRelations,WeedControl,NewSprayerTechnologyand
CountryLiving;Allthesewordsincluding“CountryLiving”hadthesamesize
andscript.TheRegistraralsofoundthatitwasCountryGuidewhichwasused
todistinguishtheregistrant’smagazineandthatthewords“CountryLiving”
didnotplaythatrolei.e.distinguishtheregistrant’smagazinefromthe
magazinesofothers.“CountryLiving”wassimplyasectioninthemagazine.
TheRegistrarconcludedthattheusethathadtobedemonstratedinsection
45proceedingsisausecomplyingwithsection2oftheActwhichprovides
thedefinitionofatrade-marki.e.:“amarkthatisusedbyapersonforthe
purposeofdistinguishingorsoastodistinguishwaresorservices
manufactured,sold,leased,hiredorperformedbyhimfromthose
manufactured,sold,leased,hiredorperformedbyothers.”AstheRegistrar
concludedthatthewords“CountryLiving”werenotusedtodistinguishthe
registrant’smagazinesfromthemagazinesofothers,shefoundthatnouseas
atrade-markhadbeenshownandorderedtheregistrationexpungedinher
decisiondatedDecember23,1998(reportedat[1998]T.M.O.B.222(QL)).
UnitedGrainGrowersappealedtheRegistrar’sdecisionbeforetheTrial
DivisionofCanada’sFederalCourt.However,inashortorderdatedApril26,
2000,Mr.JusticeCampbelldismissedtheappeal,statingheagreedwiththe
Registrar’sreasons.
UnitedGrainGrowersfurtherappealedtotheAppealDivisionoftheFederal
Courtandinitsdecisionreportedat[2001]3F.C.102(Rothstein,Sextonand
MaloneJJ.A.),theCourtallowedtheappealandorderedthattheCOUNTRY
LIVINGregistrationbemaintainedontheRegister.
Inallowingtheappeal,theCourtwrotethatinembarkinguponaninquiryas
towhetherthewords“CountyLiving”wereusedtodistinguishtheregistrant’s
magazine,theRegistrarmisinterpretedherfunctionunderSection45and
thereforeerredinlaw.IntheCourt’sview,nowordsinSection45directthe
Registrartore-examinewhethertheregisteredtrade-markisusedforthe
purposeofdistinguishing,orsoastodistinguishwares.Rather,theRegistrar’s
dutyunderSection45,accordingtotheCourt,isonlytodeterminewhether
thetrade-markasitappearsontheregisterhasbeenused.
ItisfromthatdecisionthatLangMichenersoughtandobtainedleaveto
appealbeforetheSupremeCourt.
Thismatterraisedinterestingissues:Ifatrade-markisamarkthatisusedbya
personforthepurposeofdistinguishingorsoastodistinguishwares
manufacturedbyhimorherfromthosemanufacturedbyothers,shouldthere
notbeaninvestigationastothataspectwhenevaluatingwhetheratrade-
markisinuse,includinginSection45proceedings?IntheCourtofAppeal’s
view,thesewereseenastwodistinctissues.Thepracticaleffectofthefinal
decisionrenderedbytheCourtofAppealappearstolowerthebarfor
registrantswhomustestablishuseoftheirtrade-markinassociationwith
magazinesorothersimilarpublications:Aslongasthetrade-markappears
insidethemagazine,asasectionforexample(duringtheinquirycarriedout
inSection45proceedingsforaregistrationcoveringsuchitems),thenuse
wouldappeartobeestablished.Itwillbeinterestingtoseewhetherthis
reasoningwillbeextendedtootherwaresorservicesandinother
circumstances.
Publishedat(2002),16-11WIPR4-5underthetitleMustaMarkDistinguishFor
ItToBeUsed
©LEGERROBICRICHARD,2002.
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