Validity of ‘Distinguishing Guise’ Does not Turn On Functionality


COURTCONSIDERSCONCEPTOFFUNCTIONALITYIRRELEVANTWHEN
CONSIDERINGVALIDITYOFADISTINGUISHINGGUISE

by
BarryGamache
LEGERROBICRICHARD,Lawyers
ROBIC,Patent&TrademarkAgents
CentreCDPCapital
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Montreal,Quebec,CanadaH2Z2B7
Tel.:(514)9876242-Fax:(514)8457874
www.robic.ca-info@robic.com
OnOctober8th,1993,Mrs.JusticeMcGillisoftheTrialDivisionoftheFederal
CourtofCanadadismissedanapplicationbroughtbyRemingtonRand
CorporationandRemingtonProducts(Canada)Inc.(“Remington”)to
expungefour(4)registeredtrade-marksownedbyPhilipsElectronicsN.V.
(“Philips”)(RemingtonRandCorporationetal.v.PhilipsElectronicsN.V.,
F.C.T.D.No.T-1695-91,October8th,1993).Twoofthetrade-marksweretwo-
dimensionalrepresentationsofatripleheadedrotaryshaverheadassembly
whilethetwootherswereregisteredasdistinguishingguisesundertheTrade-
marksAct,R.S.C.1985,c.T-13(“theAct”).Adistinguishingguiseisdefinedin
theActasmeaningashapingofwaresortheircontainers,oramodeof
wrappingorpackagingwarestheappearanceofwhichisusedbyadealer
todistinguishitswaresfromthoseofothers.
Asitssoleargument,Remingtonallegedthateachtrade-markwasaline
drawingorvisualrepresentationofafunctionalapparatus,wastherefore
invalidandoughttobeexpunged.TheprinciplerelieduponbyRemington
hasbeenaffirmedmanytimesbycaselaw:”…thatwhichhasafunctional
useorcharacteristiccannotbeatrade-mark.”(TheImperialTobacco
companyofCanada,Limitedv.TheRegistrarofTradeMarks,[1939]Ex.C.R.
141;Park,Davis&Company
v.EmpireLaboratoriesLimited(1964),27FoxPat.
C.67(S.C.C.).
Sincethe1960’s,Philipshadbeensellingatripleheadedshaverwithrotary
bladesarrangedinanequilateraltriangularconfiguration;althoughitmade
variousalterationstoitsdesignsincethattime,Philipsneversoldanyother
typeofshaver.Thispolicyofmaintainingasinglearrangementoftherotary
bladeswasadoptedandmaintainedessentiallyformarketingreasons.In
ordertostrengthentheimageofitsproduct,Philipssecuredregistrationinthe
early1980’softwotwo-dimensionaldesigntrade-marksdepictingthehead
assemblyofitstripleheadedrotaryshaverinanequilateraltriangular
configuration;italsoobtainedtwodistinguishingguisesregistrationsforits


tripleheadedshavingheadassemblyanditstransparentplasticbubblecard
containing,inaroundedtriangulararea,threerotaryreplacementbladesfor
electricshavers.TheRegistrarofTrade-marksrecognisedthedistinctive
characterofthefourmarkscoveredbytheseregistrations.
In1991,RemingtonwishedtointroduceinCanadaatripleheadedrotary
shaverinwhichthethreerotarybladeswerearrangedinanequilateral
triangularconfiguration.However,theregistrationsownedbyPhilips
preventeditfromlaunchingitsproduct.Remingtonthereforeinitiatedits
expungingproceedingsandarguedthatPhilipswasattemptingtouseits
registrationstoprotectthebestpossibleconfigurationforatripleheaded
rotaryshaver.
Havingreviewedtheevidencesubmittedbytheparties,Mrs.JusticeMcGillis
concludedthatRemingtonfailedtoestablishthattheequilateraltriangular
configurationwasthebestdesignforashaver;rathertheevidencepointed
tomarketingconsiderations,wheresuchdesignwasadoptedand
maintainedbyPhilipsduetoitshighdegreeofrecognitionamong
consumers.
Mrs.JusticeMcGillisreviewedthetwotwo-dimensionaltrade-marksand
concludedthattheyweremerelydepictionsorrepresentationsoftheobject
whichinspiredthemandassuch,didnotcontainanyfunctionalelements.
Furthermore,theevidencedidnotestablishedthatthedesignofthetriple
headedshaverhadbeenchosenbecauseofitsfunctionality.
Turningtothetwodistinguishingguises,Mrs.JusticeMcGillisremindedthe
partiesthatcaselawhadneverassessedtherelevancyoftheconceptof
functionalityinachallengeagainsttheregistrationofadistinguishingguise
trade-mark.Toresolvethisissue,Mrs.JusticeMcGillisnotedthatbyitsown
raisond’être,adistinguishingguisemustpossessafunctionalelementand
thattopermittheexpungementofadistinguishingguiseforthisreason,
wouldbethechoseoneofitsmainstatutorycomponentsasabasisfor
attackingitsvalidity.Thustheobjectionoffunctionalitywasdeemirrelevant
whenassessingthevalidityoftheregistrationofadistinguishingguise.
TheCourt’sdecisionisinterestinginthatitprovidesanexceptiontothe
conceptdevelopedbyjurisprudencethat”thatwhichhasafunctionaluseor
characteristiccannotbeatrade-mark”,inthecaseofadistinguishingguise,
whichisatypeoftrade-mark.Thisexceptionflowsfromtheinherentnatureof
thedistinguishingguisewhichrequiresanelementoffunctionality.
Publishedat(1994),8W.I.P.R.30-31underthetitleValidityof’Distinguishing
Guise’DoesNotTurnOnFunctionality.


LEGERROBICRICHARD,1994





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