Owner of Corona beer succeeds in opposing attempt to register Corona for coolers by questioning applicant’s conduct

O
WNEROFCORONABEERSUCCEEDSINOPPOSINGATTEMPTTO
REGISTERCORONAFORCOOLERSBYQUESTIONINGAPPLICANT’S
CONDUCT

BARRYGAMACHE*
LEGERROBICRICHARD,
LLP
L
AWYERS,PATENT&TRADEMARKAGENTS
Inacasethatquestionedanapplicant’spatternofadoptingwell-knowntrade-marks,
themanufacturerofCORONAbeersucceededinopposinganattemptbyan
individualthatitdescribedasa“predatoryfiler”toregisterthetrade-markCORONAin
associationwithvarioustypesofdrinksincludingcoolerscontainingdistilledspirits
(CerveceriaModelo,S.A.deC.V.v.Marcon,adecisionbytheRegistrarofTrade-
marksregardingapplication1,168,019,C.R.Folz,August12,2008).
OnFebruary18,2003,RobertVictorMarcon(hereafter:“Marcon”orthe“applicant”),
anelectriciansince1984,filedanapplicationtoregisterthetrade-markCORONA
(hereafter:the“trade-mark”)onthebasisofproposeduseofsuchtrade-markin
Canadainassociationwithvarioustypesofdrinksincludingbottledwater,fruitjuices,
sportsdrinksandcoolerscontainingdistilledspirits.Thisapplicationsuccessfully
passedtheexaminationstageattheTrade-marksOfficeandwaspublishedfor
oppositionpurposes.OnMarch8,2004,CerveceriaModelo,S.A.deC.V.(hereafter:
“CerveceriaModelo”orthe“opponent”),theownerofthetrade-markCORONAfor
beer,opposedtheCORONAapplicationfiledbyMarcon.
Initsstatementofopposition,theopponentallegedthatMarcondidnothavethe
beliefthatheisentitledtousetheCORONAtrade-markgiventhatinandaboutthe
timehefiledtheapplication,healsofiledanumberofotherapplicationsfortrade-
markswhicharewell-knownbothinCanadaandworldwideandarethesubjectof
existingtrade-markregistrationsinCanada.Moreover,theopponentalsoallegedthat
Marcon’strade-markisnotregistrableduetolikelihoodofconfusionwiththe
opponent’sCORONAmarkregisteredundernumberTMA598,045forbeer.
Theopponent’sevidenceestablishedthatonthesamedateoffilingofitsapplication,
namelyFebruary18,2003,MarconalsoappliedtoregisterinCanadathefollowing
marksbasedonproposeduse:ABSOLUT(ApplicationNo.1,168,026),HEINEKEN

©CIPS,2008.*BarryGamacheisamemberofLEGERROBICRICHARD,LLP,amultidisciplinaryfirmoflawyers,
patentandtrademarkagents.PublishedintheOctober2008issueoftheWIPR.Publication142.217.

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(1,168,025),FINLANDIA(1,168,024),BEEFEATER(1,168,023),CANADIANCLUB
(1,168,022),COORS(1,168,021),BUDWEISER(1,168,020)JACKDANIEL’S
(1,168,016)andDOMPERIGNON(1,168,014).Theopponent’sevidencealso
revealedthatMarconownedapplicationsforthefollowingtrade-marks:SENSODYNE
(1,186,813),TIMHORTONS(1,186,804),SOUTHERNCOMFORT(1,168,272),
BAYER(1,201,366),CHANEL(1,202,435),EVIAN(1,188,155),L’OREALPARIS
(1,202,383),NESCAFE(1,201,480)andNESTLE(1,201,360).
Finally,theopponentsubmittedproofitsCORONAbeerwassoldatvariousoutlets
operatedbytheLiquorControlBoardofOntariowherewaresidentifiedas“coolers
containingdistilledspirits”arealsosold.
Aspartofhisownevidence,Marconfileddocumentspurportingtodemonstrate“the
sincerityoftheApplicant’sdesiretousethemarksthathehasappliedforin
Canadiancommerce”.Suchdocumentincludedhisinactivetrade-markapplications
forthetrade-marksNUTRADENTandROCKLINandhispatentsfordentalflossand
afueltankproduct.
Theopponent’sgroundofoppositionregardingMarcon’sallegedlackofbeliefthathe
wasentitledtousetheCORONAmarkwasbasedonsection30(i)oftheTrade-
marksActR.S.C.1985,c.T-13(hereafter:the“Act”)thatrequiresanapplicantto
indicateaspartofitsapplicationthatitissatisfiedthatitisentitledtousethetrade-
markinCanadainassociationwiththewaresand/orservicesmentionedinits
application.InCanadianTrade-marksAct–AnnotatedRobicLeger,rev.ed.
(Scarborough,Ont.:Carswell)(looseleaf),H.G.Richarddescribestherequirementsof
section30(i)inthefollowingterms:
“Thefinalconsiderationbeforeproceedingtotheactualsearchoftheindexes
andexaminationofthemarkitself,iswhetherornottheapplicantissatisfied
“thatheisentitledtousethemarkinCanadainassociationwiththewaresor
servicesdescribedintheapplication”.Thiscanbelookedatasatypeof
contractbetweentheapplicantandthepublic,establishingthatallinformation
andsupportingevidence,includingrevisionsoradditionsofsame,havebeen
submittedingoodfaith,andthattheapplicationasitstands,isapprovedby
theapplicant.Assumingthateverythingisinorder,theapplicantorhisagent
affixeshissignature.Theexaminercanthenproceedwiththeexaminationof
themarkandthesearchoftheindexes.(emphasisadded)”
Afterreviewingtheevidence,theRegistrar,representedbyhearingofficerCindyR.
Folz,allowedthesection30(i)groundofoppositionsince,inherview,thefactthat
Marconhadappliedfor18otherarguablywell-knowntrade-marksforrelatedwares
raisedsuspicionabouthisgoodfaithinsubmittinghisapplicationforthetrade-mark
CORONA.Inherreasons,Ms.Folzquestionedhowanyreasonablepersonwouldbe

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satisfiedthatMarconwasentitledtofiletrade-markapplicationsforover18arguably
well-knownmarksforrelatedwaresand/orservices.
ItwasthereforeMarcon’sresponsibilitytoshowthathewassatisfiedthathewas
entitledtomonopolizetheappliedformarkCORONAforhisvariousnamed
beveragesthroughoutCanada.This,hedidnotdo.Infact,theevidencefiledby
Marconwasnotevenseenasaddressingthatveryimportantissue.Ms.Folz
thereforeallowedthisgroundofoppositionandrefusedMarcon’sapplication.
Ontheissueoflikelihoodofconfusion,Ms.Folzconsideredallthecircumstances
mandatedbysection6(5)oftheAct.Shewrotethatbothtrade-markswerecomprised
oftheword“Corona”andalthoughtheopponent’sbeerdifferedfromtheapplicant’s
“coolerscontainingdistilledspirits”,theywereallalcoholicbeverages.Moreover,Ms.
Folznotedtheopponent’sextensivereputationforitsCORONAmarkinassociation
withbeer.
Inthepresentcasewhereconfusionwasraisedasanissue,Ms.Folzappliedthetest
offirstimpressioninthemindofacasualconsumersomewhatinahurrywhosees
CORONAontheapplicant’sbeveragesorbottlingfacility,atatimewhenheorshe
hasnomorethananimperfectrecollectionoftheopponent’smarkanddoesnot
pausetogivethematteranydetailedconsiderationorscrutiny(seeVeuveClicquot
Ponsardinv.BoutiquesCliquotLtée,[2006]1R.C.S.824).Applyingthistest,Ms.
FolzconcludedthatthecasualconsumerwoulderroneouslyconcludethatMarcon’s
coolerscontainingdistilledspiritssoldinassociationwiththetrade-markCORONA
wouldsomehowbeassociatedwiththeopponent.
ThisdecisionisinterestinginthatitprovidedarareoccasionfortheRegistrarto
consideranapplicant’sintentwhenattemptingtoregisteratrade-mark.Whileithas
beensaidinthepastthatmensreaisusuallynotrelevantinassessinglikelihoodof
confusion(ToyotaJidoshaKabushikiKaishav.LexusFoodsInc.,[2001]2F.C.15
(F.C.A.)atparagraph11),anopponentcansuccessfullychallengeanapplicant’s
entitlementtouseatrade-markbyreferringtoapatternofconduct,suchastheone
here,wheretheapplicantmultipliedattemptstoregisterotherwell-knowntrade-
marks.Thisgroundofoppositionishoweverdistinctfromtheissueofconfusion.

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