Let's talk about what makes a good trade-mark. An instantly descriptive trade-mark like GREENLAWNZ (for a lawn care business) might sound appealing at first. It will catch the consumer's attention and they should easily be able to identify the wares…
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According to a press release from the General Court of the European Union dated September 20, 2011, the former Soviet Coat of Arms can not be trade-marked in the European Union. The Coat of Arms and other former Soviet symbols…
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The proper use of your trade-mark is critical to its defensibility and maintenance on the register. If it is not used properly, a third party is able to challenge it and strike it from the register (See my previous post…
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How different can a corporate logo be but still be recognized? A few months ago, an interesting graphic study by Graham Smith placed corporate logos front and centre as Graham "un-evolved" them into collections of circles and colours. Surprisingly enough,…
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http://www.fire-jumping.epic? Starting in January 2012, ICANN (the organization that administers domain names on the Internet) will accept applications for custom gTLDs (global top level domain), which will stand alongside the existing 22 gTLDs that you are familiar with, such as…
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A trade-mark belonging to a client of mine was recently the subject of a section 45 proceeding. Section 45 of the Trade-Marks Act entitles any interested party to apply to the Trade-Marks Office of Canada to request evidence of a…
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The Supreme Court of Canada on May 26, 2011 released the decision of Masterpiece Inc. v. Alavida Lifestyles Inc. (2011 SCC 27) regarding the test for confusion between trade-marks. At issue was whether the Court should consider whether two marks…
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