1
OVERVIEWOFTRADE-MARKSLITIGATIONINCANADA
INFRINGEMENT,PASSINGOFFAND
DEPRECIATIONOFGOODWILL
HuguesG.Richard*
LEGERROBICRICHARD
,L.L.P.
Lawyers,PatentandTrademarkAgents
CentreCDPCapital
1001Square-Victoria–BlocE–8
thFloor
Montreal,Quebec,CanadaH2Z2B7
Tel.(514)987-6242-Fax(514)845-7874
info@robic.com-www.robic.ca
I–JURISDICTION:federalvs.provincialcourts
a)Concurrentjurisdiction:
Asageneralprinciple,infringement,passingoffanddepreciationofgoodwill
actionscanbeinstitutedbeforeeithertheprovincialSuperiorCourtsorthe
FederalCourtofCanada.ThisiswheretheSuperiorCourtsandtheFederal
Courthaveconcurrentjurisdiction.
UndertheCanadianconstitution,theSuperiorCourtsarecourtsoforiginal
generaljurisdiction;theyhaveaninherentjurisdictiontohearallmatters
exceptthosematterswhichbystatuteshavebeengrantedexclusivelyto
othercourtsortribunals.
Ontheotherhand,theFederalCourtisacourtcreatedbystatute(Federal
CourtsActR.S.C.,1985,c.F-7,s.1;2002,c.8,s.14),itcanonlyhearmattersthat
havebeenspecificallygiventoitbystatute.Ithasnoinherentjurisdictionas
provincialSuperiorCourtsdo.
TheFederalCourt’sAct,unders.20,doesgranttotheFederalCourtjurisdiction
toentertaincasesrespectingtrade-marks.Furthermore,thisjurisdictionofthe
FederalCourtisconfirmedbytheprovisionsofs.52ands.55oftheTrade-Marks
Act(R.S.C.1985,c.T-13).