Significant changes in the Canadian Trademark System

ONJUNE17,2019,SUBSTANTIALCHANGESTOTHECANADIANTRADE-MARKSACTWILLCOMEINTO
FORCE.THEIMPACTOFTHESECHANGESWILLBESIGNIFICANT.THEFOLLOWINGARESOMEOFTHE
MOREIMPORTANTCHANGESTOLOOKFORINTHECOMINGWEEKS:
-Thedefinitionofatrademarkwillbebroadenedtoalsoincludea“signorcombinationofsigns”
where“sign”canincludeaword,apersonalname,adesign,aletter,anumeral,acolor,afigurative
element,a3Dshape,ahologram,amovingimage,amodeofpackaging,asound,ascent,ataste
,
atextureandthepositioningofasign.
-Theapplicationprocesswillbesimplifiedandmoreaccessibleduetotheapplicantnolongerhaving
toprovideaspecificfilingbasisatthemomentoffiling,norfileaDeclarationofUsefor
applicationsfiledonthebasisofproposeduseinCanada.Itwillthereforebepossibletoregistera
trademarkwithouteverhavingusedthemarkinCanadaorabroad.
-DuetotheadoptionoftheNiceClassificationsystem,notonlywillgoodsandservicescontinue
tohavetobedescribedinordinarycommercialtermsaccordingtocurrentCanadianpractice,
buttheywillalsohavetobegroupedinaccordancetotheInternationalClassificationsystem.
Inaddition,anewper-classfeestructurehasbeenputintoplacewherebyofficialfeesforonline
filingsareCAD$330forthefirstclass,plusCAD$100foreachadditionalclass.
-Trademarkregistrationswillbevalidforaperiodof10yearsinsteadof15years.
-Whenrenewingregistrations:i)itwillbemandatorytoclassifythegoodsandservicescoveredby
theregistrationinaccordancetotheNiceClassificationpriortorenewal,andii)therenewalfeeswill
bebasedonaper-classfeestructure,namelyCAD$400forthefirstclass,plusCAD$125foreach
additionalclass.
-TheRegistrarwillhavethediscretiontoquestionthedistinctivenessofanapplied-fortrademark
andtorequestevidenceofdistinctivenessatthetimeoffiling.Evidenceofac
quireddistinctiveness
mayberequiredfortrademarksconsistingof,forinstance,a3Dshape,modeofpack
aging,sound,
scent,taste,texture,anyotherprescribedsign.
-Itwillbepossibletodivideanapplicationintotwoormoreapplicationsduringexaminationand
oppositiontoprovidetheabilitytoadvanceapplicationsforcertaingoodsandservices
,ifothers
remainchallenged.
-Theconceptof“associatedmarks”willbeabolished,leavingituptotrademarkownerstoensure
thatthetransferofoneormoremarksbelongingtothesamegroupofmarkswillnotaffecttheir
distinctivecharacter.
-Priorityclaimscanbeassertedfromanypriorapplicationandnotmerelyonefiledbytheapplicant
initscountryoforigin.
-CanadawillbeadheringtotheMadridProtocolallowingtrademarkownerstoapplyforinternational
registrationsinMemberStatesoftheMadridUnionthroughacentralizedprocess.Canadian
applicantswillbeabletofileaninternationalapplicationwiththeInternationalBureauoftheWorld
IntellectualPropertyOrganizationdesignatingseveralMemberStatesand,inthesamem
anner,the
CanadianIntellectualPropertyOfficewillacceptinternationalapplicationsdesignatingCanada.
THEFOLLOWINGARESOMELAST-MINUTETIPSYOUMAYWANTTOCONSIDERTAKINGADVANTAGEOF
PRIORTOJUNE17,2019:
1.Earlyrenewals.RenewalsrequestedpriortoJune17,2019willnotbesubjecttotheobligationfo
r
classificationandthefeeswillbelower(CAD$350irrespectiveofthenumberofclasses),keepingin
mindhoweverthatatrademarkregistrationdueforrenewalafterJune17,2019butrenewedbefore
willonlyberenewedforaperiodof10yearsaccordingtothenewlegislation(insteadof15years).
2.PostponingdeadlinesforfilingDeclarationsofUse.Forapplications
forwhichthedeadlinetofilea
DeclarationofUsefallsafterthecomingintoforceofthechanges,itwillnolongerbenecessaryto
filetheDeclarationofUsetoobtaintheregistration.UponpaymentoftheCAD$200registration
fees,theregistrationwillbegrantedforaperiodof10years.
Itisundeniablethatthechangesareintendedtomakeiteasierfornon-Canadianstofiletrademark
applicationsinCanadaandviceversa.Atthesametime,theremovalofthe“use”requirementaspartof
theapplicationprocessrequirestrademarkownerstobemuchmoreproactiveandvigilantabout
registeringandenforcingtheirrightsinCanadathroughtheincreaseduseofoppositions,litigationand
non-usecancellationactions.Fullavailabilitysearches,earlyfilingsandmonitoringservicesbecomemuch
moreessentialthantheyweretodateandarestronglyrecommended.
Foranyquestionsortodiscussfilingstrategiesinlightofthechange
s,weinviteyoutocontactour
ROBICtrademarkprofessionals.
LastCall-
TheCanadian
trademarksystem
willsoonundergo
significantchanges