The issue of confusion reviewed by the Superior Court of Quebec in an injunction context

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THEISSUEOFCONFUSIONREVIEWEDBYTHESUPERIORCOURTOFQUEBECIN
ANINJUNCTIONCONTEXT

By
CatherineDaigle*
LEGERROBICRICHARD
,L.L.P.
Lawyers,PatentandTrademarkAgents
CentreCDPCapital
1001Square-Victoria-BlocE–8thFloor
Montreal,Quebec,CanadaH2Z2B7
Tel.(514)9876242-Fax(514)8457874
info@robic.com-www.robic.ca
ManoirPointe-aux-Tremblesinc.v.Savoie,2006QCCS3888(SuperiorCourtof
Quebec,J.BenoîtEmery)
InarecenthearingheldinJuly2006,theSuperiorCourtofQuebecwas
requestedtoissueapermanentinjunctionpreventingtheusebyMr.Eddy
Savoie(hereinafterreferredtoasthe“Respondant”)oftheexpression“Manoir
Pointe-aux-Trembles”asanelementofhisretirementhomecorporatename(i.e.
“LesRésidencesSoleilManoirPointe-aux-Trembles”)asitwasalreadyusedand
registeredasatrade-markbyManoirPointe-aux-Tremblesinc.(hereinafter
referredtoasthe“Petitioner”).
1.Factualbackground
ThePetitioner,acompanyoperatingaretirementhomeforself-sufficientsenior
citizenssituatedinPointe-aux-Trembles,isrequestingtheissuancebytheSuperior
CourtofapermanentinjunctionagainstMr.EddySavoie(hereinafterreferredto
asthe“Respondent”)inordertopreventhimfromusingtheexpression“LES
RÉSIDENCESSOLEILMANOIRPOINTE-AUX-TREMBLES”inassociationwithanother
retirementhomewhichwouldbepartofagroupdesignatedas“LesRésidences
Soleil”.
ItwassubmittedbythePetitionerthattheRespondent’suseofthecorporate
name“LESRÉSIDENCESSOLEILMANOIRPOINTE-AUX-TREMBLES”wascreating
confusionwithitsTrade-markastheparties,whichwerecarryingonbusinessin



















































©CIPS,2006.*Lawyer,CatherineDaigleisamemberofLEGERROBICRICHARD,L.L.P.,amultidisciplinaryfirm
oflawyers,andpatentandtrademarkagents.Publication293.043.

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thesameneighbourhood,werealsoofferingidenticalservicesthatwereboth
addressedtoself-sufficientseniorcitizens.
Conversely,theRespondentpleadedthathewasalwaysusingitstrade-mark
RÉSIDENCESSOLEILMANOIRbeforethenameoftheplacewheretheretirement
homewassituated.Astheexpression“Pointe-aux-Trembles”isreferringtoa
geographicalareathatwasdisclaimedapartfromtheTrade-mark,hewas
thereforeentitledtouseitalongwithitstrade-marktoobtainRÉSIDENCESSOLEIL
MANOIRPointe-aux-Trembles.Itwasalsosubmittedthattherewasnopossible
confusionbetweenthetwonames.
2.Analysisandconclusions
AsmentionedinSection20oftheTrade-marksAct,therightoftheownerofa
registeredtrade-marktoitsexclusiveuseshallbedeemedtobeinfringedbya
personwhosellsoradvertisesservicesinassociationwithaconfusingtrade-mark.
Inthisparticularcase,sincethePetitionerwastheownerofaregisteredtrade-
mark,theCourthadtoevaluatewhethertheRespondent’suseofthetrade-
nameRÉSIDENCESSOLEILMANOIRPOINTE-AUX-TREMBLESwascreatingoratleast
wassusceptibletocreateconfusionwiththeTrade-mark.
AlthoughtheCourtnotedthattheterm“manoir”(manorinEnglish)wasa
commonwordandtheexpression“Pointe-aux-trembles”referredtoa
geographicalarea,itwasneverthelessoftheopinionthattheuseofthe
Respondent’strade-namewascreatingconfusionwiththePetitioner’sTrade-
mark.
Indeed,asdemonstratebythePetitioner,thearrivalofa“RésidencesSoleil
ManoirPointe-aux-Trembles”nearitsretirementhomehadcreatedconfusionin
thetargetedpublic,partlybecauseofthesimilarityofeachpartyservices,and
alsobecauseofthejuxtapositionoftheterms“Manoir”combinedwith“Pointe-
aux-Trembles”,whichexpressioninitsentiretywasthePetitioner’sTrade-mark.
Tothateffect,theCourtunderlinedthefactthat,ofallmembersofthepublic,
theseniorcitizensweresomewhatmorevulnerablethanothersandthat
consequently,theriskofconfusionshouldbeevaluatedaccordingly.
Inlightoftheabove,theCourtthereforeissuedtherequestedpermanent
injunction,orderingtheRespondentnottousetheexpression“ManoirPointe-
aux-Trembles”inreferencewithitsnewretirementhome.

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