The question of distinctiveness appreciated by the Federal Court of Canada
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THEQUESTIONOFDISTINCTIVENESSAPPRECIATEDBYTHE
FEDERAL
COURTOFCANADA
CATHERINEDAIGLE*
ROBIC,
LLP
L
AWYERS,PATENTANDTRADEMARKAGENTS
AdvanceMagazinePublishersv.WiseGourmetInc.,2009FC1208(November
24,2009)
InaproceedingbeforetheFederalCourtofCanada,AdvanceMagazinePublishers,
ownerofthemagazineGOURMET,successfullyappealedadecisionrenderedby
theOppositionBoardinwhichwasheldthattherenolikelihoodofconfusionbetween
thetrade-markGOURMET(inassociationwithmagazinesandotherpublications)
andWISEGOURMET(inassociationwithvariousfoodproductsandprinted
publications)ownedbytheapplicantWiseGourmetInc.
Inrenderingitsdecision,theOppositionBoardfoundthatalthoughtheparties’wares
wererelatedandoverlapped,thetrade-marksatissuewerenotinherentlydistinctive
sinceGOURMETandWISEGOURMETbothconveyedtheideaofcuisineandlove
offood.
TheOppositionBoardconcludedthatwithoutanyevidenceofacquiredreputation,
AdvanceMagazinePublishers’trade-markGOURMETshouldbeentitledtoanarrow
scopeofprotectionandthus,confusionwithWISEGOURMETwasunlikely.
OnappealbeforetheFederalCourt,AdvanceMagazinePublisherssubmitted
substantialnewevidencebywayoftwolengthyaffidavits.Sincemanyofthefindings
oftheOppositionBoardwerenegatedbythisnewevidence,adeterminationdenovo
bytheCourtwasrequired.
Ontheissueofdistinctiveness,theFederalCourtfoundthatalthoughtheGOURMET
trade-markwasnotinherentlydistinctive,itsuseovertimehadgainedAdvance
MagazinePublishersacertainreputationinCanadainassociationwithitsmagazine.
Inreachingitsdecision,theCourtalsotookinconsiderationthesimilarnatureofthe
parties’waresandthefairdegreeofresemblancebetweenGOURMETandWISE
GOURMET.
©CIPS,2010.*LawyerandtrademarkagentwithROBIC,LLP,amultidisciplinaryfirmoflawyersandpatentand
trademarkagents.PublishedintheWorldTrademarkReport.Publication293.062.
2
Inviewoftheforegoing,theCourtconcludedthattherewaslikelihoodofconfusion
betweenthemarksatissuesuchthatWISEGOURMETcouldnotberegistered.
Thus,theapplicationofWiseGourmetInc.wasrefused.
3
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