Previous Trade-Mark Use Trumps Registration, Rules Canada’s Federal Court in Kimbo Case
1
PREVIOUSTRADE-MARKUSETRUMPSREGISTRATION,RULESCANADA’SFEDERAL
COURTINKIMBOCASE
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
Cafe’DoBrasil,S.p.A.successfullyobtainedbeforeCanada’sFederalCourt
anorderexpungingthetrade-markKIMBO&Designstandinginthenameof
WalongMarketingInc.,notwithstandingthefactthatitsownregistrationfora
similartrade-markwasexpungedinsummaryproceedingsbroughtaboutby
WalongMarketingInc.(Cafe’DoBrasil,S.p.A.v.WalongMarketingInc.,2006
FC1063(F.C.,Mactavish,J.,September5,2006)).
OnDecember14,1990,ItaliancoffeemanufacturerCafe’DoBrasil,S.p.A.
(hereafter“Cafe’DoBrasil”)securedregistrationinCanadaofits“KIMBO”
trade-markforuseinassociationwithvariousfoodproductsincludingcoffee,
tea,rice,vinegar,sugar,saltandflour.Additionally,itdistributedcoffee
productsinassociationwithitsKIMBOtrade-marktoitsCanadianclientsas
earlyas1992andcontinuouslysoldthesewaresinCanadaeversince.
OnOctober17,2003,Cafe’DoBrasilsoughttoexpandits1990registrationby
filinganapplicationtoaddonelectriccoffeemakersandotherhousehold
appliancestoitsfoodproductsalreadyprotected.InMay2004,the
CanadianTrade-marksOfficeobjectedtoCafe’DoBrasil’s2003application
toexpandthe1990registrationonthebasisofanotherregistrationfora
KIMBO-typetrade-markstandinginthenameofWalongMarketingInc.
(hereafter“WalongMarketing”).SecuredonNovember28,2000furthertoa
filingmadeonJune29,1998,thisregistrationcoveredvariousfoodproducts
includingsomethatwereidenticaltotheonescoveredbyCafe’DoBrasil’s
registration;itsownerallegeduseofitstrade-markinCanadasince1995.
WhenitinquiredhowWalongMarketingcouldbethecurrentregistered
ownerofaKIMBO-typetrade-mark,Cafe’DoBrasildiscoveredtoitssurprise
thatonApril28,1999oneofWalongMarketing’spredecessorhadinitiated
©CIPS,2006.*LawyerwithLEGERROBICRICHARD,LLP,amultidisciplinaryfirmoflawyers,andpatentand
trade-marksAgents.Publication142.184.
2
summaryexpungementproceedingsundersection45ofCanada’sTrade-
marksAct,R.S.C.1985,c.T-13againstCafe’DoBrasil’s1990registration.
Section45isthe«useitorloseit»provisionoftheTrade-marksAct.Itcallsfora
summaryprocedurewherebytheRegistrarissuesanoticerequestingthata
registeredtrade-markownerfurnishevidenceofuseofitstrade-mark,failing
whichtheregistrationwillbeexpunged.
However,accordingtoCafe’DoBrasil,itneverreceivedtheApril28,1999
noticeundersection45anditwasconsequentlynotawarethatsummary
expungementproceedingsbeforetheRegistrarhadbeeninitiatedagainstits
1990registration.Moreimportantly,andunbeknownsttoCafe’DoBrasil,its
registrationwasexpungedonFebruary1,2000permittingthereafterWalong
MarketingtoregisteritsownKIMBOtrade-markforfoodproductsinCanada.
Withitsrequestundersection57oftheTrade-marksAct,Cafe’DoBrasil,
broughtanapplicationbeforetheFederalCourtforanorderstrikingout
WalongMarketing’strade-markregistration.Initsapplication,Cafe’DoBrasil
facedapotentiallyimportanthurdle:Wasitprecludedfrombringingits
applicationbyoperationofsubsection57(2)oftheTrade-marksActwhich
provides:“Nopersonisentitledtoinstituteunderthissectionanyproceeding
callingintoquestionanydecisiongivenbytheRegistrarofwhichthatperson
hadexpressnoticeandfromwhichhehadarighttoappeal”?
Inotherwords,undersubsection57(2),apartycannotchallengea
registrationbeforetheFederalCourtifithasleftunchallengedadecisionfrom
theRegistrarwhichdealswiththemeritsofanyissueitwishestobringbefore
theFederalCourt.WasthisthecasewithCafe’DoBrasil’sapplication?
MadamJusticeMactavishconsideredtheevidencefiledandwassatisfied
thatthroughnofaultonthepartoftheRegistrarofTrade-marks,Cafe’Do
Brasildidnothaveactualnoticeofthesummaryexpungementproceedings
priortohavinglearnedthatits1990registrationwasexpunged,inMay2004
whenitbecameawareofWalongMarketing’sownregistration.Shewrote:
“NotonlyisCafe’DoBrasil’sevidenceastoitslackofknowledgecompletely
unchallenged,theevidencebeforethisCourtalsoclearlydemonstratesthe
continueduseoftheKIMBOmarkinCanadabyCafe’DoBrasilduringthe
threeyearperiodimmediatelyprecedingthesection45notice.Presumably,
thisevidencewouldhavebeenreadilyavailabletoCafe’DoBrasilatthetime
thattheexpungementproceedingswereinitiated.Givenitscontinuing
interestinthemark,itsimplydoesnotmakesensethatCafe’DoBrasilwould
havealloweditsmarktobeexpunged,haditbeenawareofthe
expungementproceedings.”
3
Havingovercomethispreliminaryhurdle,theCourtconcludedthatunder
subsections18(1)and16(1)(a)oftheTrade-marksAct,Cafe’DoBrasilwas
abletoestablishuseofitstrade-markpriortoanyusecarriedoutbyWalong
Marketingoritspredecessor.Consideringthatbothtrade-markswere
confusinglysimilarinthattheyresembledeachotherandwereassociated
withsimilar,andinsomecases,identicalproducts,theCourtallowedCafe’
DoBrasil’sapplicationandorderedtheexpungementofWalongMarketing’s
registration.
Thiscaseillustrates,yetagain,thatregistrationisonlysupportiveofuseand
that,asageneralrule,aprevioususerofatrade-markisentitledto
registration.Ofcourse,absentanyappealtotheFederalCourtofAppeal,the
expungementofWalongMarketing’sregistrationwillnotdispenseCafe’Do
BrasilfromrequestingregistrationofitsownKIMBOtrade-markshoulditwishto
reclaimitstitleofregisteredtrade-markowner.
4
ROBIC,ungrouped avocatsetd agentsdebrevetsetdemarquesde
commercevouédepuis1892àlaprotectionetàlavalorisationdela
propriétéintellectuelledanstouslesdomaines:brevets,dessinsindustrielset
modèlesutilitaires;marquesdecommerce,marquesdecertificationet
appellationsd origine;droitsd auteur,propriétélittéraireetartistique,droits
voisinsetdel artisteinterprète;informatique,logicielsetcircuitsintégrés;
biotechnologies,pharmaceutiquesetobtentionsvégétales;secretsde
commerce,know-howetconcurrence;licences,franchisesettransfertsde
technologies;commerceélectronique,distributionetdroitdesaffaires;
marquage,publicitéetétiquetage;poursuite,litigeetarbitrage;vérification
diligenteetaudit.ROBIC,agroupoflawyersandofpatentandtrademark
agentsdedicatedsince1892totheprotectionandthevalorizationofall
fieldsofintellectualproperty:patents,industrialdesignsandutilitypatents;
trademarks,certificationmarksandindicationsoforigin;copyrightand
entertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,neighbouringrights;computer,
softwareandintegratedcircuits;biotechnologies,pharmaceuticalsandplant
breeders;tradesecrets,know-how,competitionandanti-trust;licensing,
franchisingandtechnologytransfers;e-commerce,distributionandbusiness
law;marketing,publicityandlabelling;prosecutionlitigationandarbitration;
duediligence.
COPYRIGHTER
IDEASLIVEHERE
ILATOUTDEMÊMEFALLUL INVENTER!
LAMAÎTRISEDESINTANGIBLES
LEGERROBICRICHARD
NOSFENÊTRESGRANDESOUVERTESSURLEMONDEDESAFFAIRES
PATENTER
R
ROBIC
ROBIC+DROIT+AFFAIRES+SCIENCES+ARTS
ROBIC++++
ROBIC+LAW+BUSINESS+SCIENCE+ART
THETRADEMARKERGROUP
TRADEMARKER
VOSIDÉESÀLAPORTÉEDUMONDE,DESAFFAIRESÀLAGRANDEURDELA
PLANÈTE
YOURBUSINESSISTHEWORLDOFIDEAS;OURBUSINESSBRINGSYOURIDEASTO
THEWORLD