Registering your Trade-mark… Something to Think About

2012-09-18

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REGISTERINGYOURTRADE-MARK…SOMETHINGTOTHINKABOUT
CATHERINEBERGERON*
ROBIC,LLP
LAWYERS,PATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS
Itiswellknownthatthevalueofatrade-markmaysometimesbegreaterthanthe
valueofthetangibleassetsofacompany.Forexample,salicylicacidmoleculeisno
longerunderpatentprotection,butthetrade-markAspirin®,registeredinCanada
since1899,isextremelyvaluabletoitsowner.Everycompanyhasaninterestin
evaluatingtheopportunitytoregisteratrade-markapplicationthatcouldpotentially
becomeoneofitsmostimportantassets
Atrade-markservestoidentifythesourceofthegoodsorservicesinassociationwith
whichitisused,anditservesasareferenceforconsumerswhooftenperceiveitas
asignofquality.ConsumersknowthatthedrugAspirin®isaproductofBayerand
someevenhavetheperceptionthattheoriginalproductismoreeffectivethanthe
generic.Themarkmaythereforealsobeseenasareflectionofthereputationofthe
companythatownsit.OneonlyneedstothinkofluxurygoodssuchasChristian
Dior®perfumeproductsorCirqueduSoleil®entertainmentservices.
Withsuchacrucialfunction,andsometimesapricelessvalue,itisnormalthattrade-
markownerslookintomaximizingtheprotectionoftheirtrade-marks.Onewaytodo
soistoobtainatrade-markregistrationwiththeCanadianIntellectualProperty
Office(CIPO).
InCanada,atrade-markcreatesrightsthroughitsuse,buttheregistrationconfers
countlessadvantagestoitsowner,includingadvantagesregarding:
a)useofthetrade-mark,
b)registrationoftitle,
c)itsprotection,
d)registrationabroad,
e)proposeduseofthemark,
f)registrationofadomainname,
g)useofthemarkinalanguageotherthanFrench,
h)licensingofthemark.
©CIPS,2012.*FromROBIC,LLP,amultidisciplinaryfirmofLawyers,andPatentandTrade-markAgents.Published
intheSummer2012(Vol.16,no.2)Newsletterofthefirm.Publication068.152E.

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MONTREAL1001Square-Victoria-BlocE-8thFloorMontreal,Quebec,CanadaH2Z2B7Tel.:+1514987-6242Fax:+1514845-7874
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Thefollowingexampleswillillustratesomeofthenumerousbenefitsofobtaininga
trade-markregistrationinCanada:
a)RighttotheExclusiveUseoftheTrade-Mark
Registeringatrade-markgivesitsownertheexclusiverighttouseit(andthusto
protectit)acrossCanada,evenifthemarkisactuallyusedonlyinalimitedareaof
thecountry.Ontheotherhand,anunregisteredtrade-markcanonlybeprotected
withinthelimitsoftheterritorywhereitisusedandwhereithasacquiredsome
goodwillduetoitsrecognitionandreputation(whichtheownerhastheburdenof
proving).
b)RegistrationoftheTrade-Mark’sTitle
Theregistrationofatrade-markonthefederalregistermakesit”public”.Itbecomes
concreteevidenceandapublicrecognitionoftheexclusiverightheldbytheownerof
themarkthroughoutCanada.Otherswillnotbeallowedtoregisterthesametrade-
markoraconfusinglysimilartrade-mark.TheTrade-marksOfficewillindeedrefuse
theregistrationofasubsequenttrade-markifitcreatesconfusionwithapreviously
registeredtrade-mark(orwithatrade-markforwhichanapplicationispending).
Theregistrationmayalsoserveasadisincentiveforpeopletouseasimilartrade-
markiftheyconductsearchesonthetrade-markregistertodeterminetheavailability
ofsuchamark.
c)ProtectionoftheTrade-Mark
Theregistrationofatrade-markgivestoitsownerawiderrangeoflegalremediesto
considerincaseofinfringementofitstrade-markrightsandagainstathirdpartywho
woulduse,inCanada:
i)anidenticalmarkdesignatingidenticalgoodsorservices(“knockoff”goodsfor
instance),
ii)amarkwhichcreatesconfusionwithitsownmark,or
iii)amarklikelytodepreciatethevalueofthegoodwillattachedtoits
registeredtrade-mark.
Asashield,atrade-markregistrationcanbeusedasadefensebyitsownersuedin
anactionforunfaircompetition(knownas”passingoff”).
Onceregistered,thetrade-mark,whetherdisplayedonaproduct,onapackageorin
anadvertisement,maybeaccompaniedbythesymbol®,indicatingtoconsumers
(andtocompetitors!)thatthistrade-markisdulyregisteredwiththeCIPO.
d)RegistrationAbroad

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MONTREAL1001Square-Victoria-BlocE-8thFloorMontreal,Quebec,CanadaH2Z2B7Tel.:+1514987-6242Fax:+1514845-7874
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ForCanadians(whetherindividualsorcorporations)doingbusinessabroadorwith
exportprojects,theregistrationofatrade-markinCanadacanfacilitatethe
registrationinforeigncountries,insofarasitcanbeusedasafilingbasisinthese
othercountries,withouthavingtoshowortodeclaretheuseofthetrade-markinthe
countrieswhereregistrationissought.
Inaddition,andsubjecttocertainconditions,anapplicationforregistrationabroad
filedwithinsixmonthsoftheCanadianapplicationallowstheapplicanttoclaimthe
samefilingdateastheCanadianapplication,whichgivessomeflexibilitytothose
seekingtrade-markprotectionoutsidethecountry.
e)ProposedUse
Filinganapplicationfortheregistrationofatrade-markonthebasisofproposeduse
inCanada,i.e.whenthemarkisnotonthemarketyet,alsohasitsadvantages.Such
afiling,usedto”reserve”atrade-markduringthedevelopmentofproductsthatwould
becommercializedundersaidmark,maythereforeserveasabarriertosubsequent
applicationsforconfusinglysimilartrade-marks.
f)DomainNames
Trade-markownersoftenwishtoprotectassociateddomainnames,i.e.unique
addressesusedontheInternet.Sometimes,thirdpartieswilltrytoregisterdomain
namesincludingnamesormarksthattheydonotusethemselves.Fortunately,in
arbitrationcasesconcerningdomainnames,atrade-markregistrationcorresponding
tothedomainnamewhichisthesubjectofthedisputewillbeconsideredas
sufficientevidencetoprovetheplaintiff’srightsinthetrade-mark.Atrade-mark
registrationwillalsofacilitatetheplaintiff’sburdenofproofincourtproceedings
initiatedagainst”cybersquatters”.
g)UseofaLanguageotherthanFrenchinaTrade-mark
ForgoodsandservicescommercializedorofferedintheprovinceofQuebec,trade-
markscomposedoftermsinalanguageotherthanFrenchmayconstituteproblems
withrespecttothevariouslanguagerequirementsimposedbytheCharterofthe
Frenchlanguageanditsregulations.However,theQuebecOfficeoftheFrench
languageconsidersthataregisteredtrade-mark(inEnglishforinstance)isan
exceptiontotheserequirementsandthereforeallowstheuseofaregisteredtrade-
markinalanguageotherthanFrench.
h)Trade-markLicensing
Aregisteredtrade-markmayrepresentanadditionalsourceofincomewhenitis
usedunderlicense(i.e.whenitsownerauthorizesathirdpartytouseitundercertain
conditions,whilepreservingownership)orwhenitisthesubjectofafranchise,for
particulargoodsorservicesand/orforaparticularterritory.

ROBIC,LLPwww.robic.cainfo@robic.com
MONTREAL1001Square-Victoria-BlocE-8thFloorMontreal,Quebec,CanadaH2Z2B7Tel.:+1514987-6242Fax:+1514845-7874
QUEBEC2828LaurierBoulevard,Tower1,Suite925Quebec,Quebec,CanadaG1V0B9Tel.:+1418653-1888Fax.:+1418653-0006
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Thisshortlistofadvantagesofregisteringatrade-markisofcoursenotexhaustive.It
wouldbedifficulttolistthemall,nottomentionthateachtrade-markregistrationhas
itsownadvantages,withinitsspecificcontextanddependingontheproductsand
servicescoveredbyeachmark.Regardlessofthesituation,onethingisclear,
registeringatrade-markisalwayssomethingtothinkabout.
ROBIC,ungrouped’avocatsetd’agentsdebrevetsetdemarquesdecommercevouédepuis1892à
laprotectionetàlavalorisationdelapropriétéintellectuelledanstouslesdomaines:brevets,dessins
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informatique,logicielsetcircuitsintégrés;biotechnologies,pharmaceutiquesetobtentionsvégétales;
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litigeetarbitrage;vérificationdiligenteetaudit.ROBIC,agroupoflawyersandofpatentand
trademarkagentsdedicatedsince1892totheprotectionandthevalorizationofallfieldsofintellectual
property:patents,industrialdesignsandutilitypatents;trademarks,certificationmarksandindications
oforigin;copyrightandentertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,neighbouringrights;computer,
softwareandintegratedcircuits;biotechnologies,pharmaceuticalsandplantbreeders;tradesecrets,
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distributionandbusinesslaw;marketing,publicityandlabelling;prosecutionlitigationandarbitration;
duediligence.
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MONTREAL1001Square-Victoria-BlocE-8thFloorMontreal,Quebec,CanadaH2Z2B7Tel.:+1514987-6242Fax:+1514845-7874
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