Summary and expedient nature of administrative expungement proceedings in Canada reflected in a new practice notice

SUMMARYANDEXPEDIENTNATUREOFADMINISTRATIVEEXPUNGEMENT
PROCEEDINGSINCANADAREFLECTEDINANEWPRACTICENOTICE
MARCELNAUD**
LEGERROBICRICHARD,LLP
LAWYERS,PATENTANDTRADEMARKAGENTS
TheCanadianIntellectualPropertyOfficehasrecentlyannouncedthat,startingSeptember
14,2009,theTrade-marksOppositionBoardwillbechangingitspracticeinitsadministrative
expungementproceedings,knownassection45proceedings.
Section45oftheTrade-marksActgrantstotheRegistrarthepowertogivenotice”atany
time”totheownerofaregisteredtrade-marktoprovideevidenceshowingwhetherthetrade-
markwasusedinCanadaduringthethreeyearperiodimmediatelyprecedingthenotice
and,ifnot,thelastdatewhenitwasusedandthereason(s)excusingnon-usesincethen.
Thisnoticeisusuallygivenfurthertothewrittenrequestofaninterestedparty,unlessthe
Registrarseesgoodreasontorefuseissuanceofthenotice.Eventhoughthisdetermination
ismadeonacase-by-casebasis,thenewpracticenoticenowexpresslyindicatesthatif(i)
thetrade-markisalreadythesubjectofproceedings;(ii)therequestfromtherequesting
partyiswithinthreeyearsofthedateofissuanceofaprevioussection45notice;or(iii)the
requestisfrivolousorvexatious,theRegistrarcouldconsiderthesecircumstancesasgood
reasonsnottoissueanotice.
Furthermore,toensurecompliancewithArticle19oftheTRIPSAgreement,theRegistrar
willrefrainfromissuingasection45noticepropriomotuiftheconcernedtrade-markhas
beenregisteredforlessthanthreeyears.
Whenthenewpracticenoticewillbeineffect,theRegistrar(i)willgenerallyconsideronly
oneextensionoftime(uptofourmonths)fortheregisteredownertofileitsevidenceofuse,
(ii)willnotgrantrequeststoextendthenewadministrativedeadlineoffourmonthstoeach
partytofilewrittenrepresentations(whichwaspreviouslyoftwomonths);and(iii)will
generallynotgrantrequestsforretroactiveextensionsoftimetofileadditionalevidenceafter
therequestingpartyhasfileditswrittenrepresentations.Thefactthatpartiesarenegotiating
asettlementorthattheybothconsenttoanextensionoftimewillnolongersufficetoobtain
it.
©CIPS,2009.*MarcelNaudisalwayerandtrade-markagentwithLEGERROBICRICHARD,LLP,a
multidisciplinaryfirmoflawyers,andpatentandtrade-markagents.PublishedinaJulyissueofWorld
TrademarkReport.Publication293.060

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Amongthecircumstancesthatcouldneverthelessjustifyadditionalextensionsoftimeare(i)
averyrecentchangeintheparty’sinstructingprincipalortrade-markagent;(ii)illness,
accident,death,bankruptcyorotherseriousandunforeseencircumstances;or(iii)
assignmentorcancellationoftheregistrationoramendmenttothestatementofwaresor
services.
Inaddition,inacasewhereahearingwasrequestedandthepartiesconsentedtohaving
thehearingrescheduled,theRegistrarwillgenerallyaccepttorescheduleitonlyoncefrom
nowon.
Allthesechangespertainingtoextensionsoftimeandschedulingaremeanttoreflectthe
factthatsection45proceedingsshouldbeanexpedientstatutorymechanism.
Lastly,itisalsoworthnotingthat,indeterminingiftheevidencefiledmayprovidesufficient
reasonstojustifytheabsenceofuse,theRegistrar,basedonpreviousdecisionsfromthe
FederalCourtofAppeal,confirmsthatitnowconsidersallthreeofthefollowingcriteria:(i)
thelengthoftimeduringwhichthetrade-markhasnotbeenused;(ii)whetherthereasons
fortheabsenceofusewereduetocircumstancesbeyondthecontroloftheowner;and(iii)
whetherthereexistsaseriousintentiontoresumeuseofthetrade-markshortly.
Thispracticenoticeinwhichtheabove-mentionedchangesarespecifiedwillreplacethe
previouspracticenoticedatedDecember21,2005.
Practicenoticesaremeanttoprovideguidanceonthepracticeandinterpretationofthe
Trade-marksAct(“TMA”)bytheCanadianIntellectualPropertyOffice.Ifanyinconsistency
betweenthenoticeandthelegislationisfound,thelegislationmustbefollowed.
ROBIC,ungrouped’avocatsetd’agentsdebrevetsetdemarquesdecommerce
vouédepuis1892àlaprotectionetàlavalorisationdelapropriétéintellectuelledans
touslesdomaines:brevets,dessinsindustrielsetmodèlesutilitaires;marquesde
commerce,marquesdecertificationetappellationsd’origine;droitsd’auteur,
propriétélittéraireetartistique,droitsvoisinsetdel’artisteinterprète;informatique,
logicielsetcircuitsintégrés;biotechnologies,pharmaceutiquesetobtentions
végétales;secretsdecommerce,know-howetconcurrence;licences,franchiseset
transfertsdetechnologies;commerceélectronique,distributionetdroitdesaffaires;
marquage,publicitéetétiquetage;poursuite,litigeetarbitrage;vérificationdiligente
etaudit.ROBIC,agroupoflawyersandofpatentandtrademarkagentsdedicated
since1892totheprotectionandthevalorizationofallfieldsofintellectualproperty:

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patents,industrialdesignsandutilitypatents;trademarks,certificationmarksand
indicationsoforigin;copyrightandentertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,
neighbouringrights;computer,softwareandintegratedcircuits;biotechnologies,
pharmaceuticalsandplantbreeders;tradesecrets,know-how,competitionandanti-
trust;licensing,franchisingandtechnologytransfers;e-commerce,distributionand
businesslaw;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;OURBUSINESSBRINGSYOUR
IDEASTOTHEWORLD
Trade-marksofLEGERROBICRICHARD,LLP(“ROBIC”)