Intellectual Property

Every year, I recommend that businesses perform a "checkup" on their branding and advertising to ensure proper usage of their trademarks. First, recall that even though a trademark may be registered, this alone does not ensure protection - a trademark…

On June 19, 2014 the Canadian government ratified a bill which will modernize our current Trade-marks Act, and with it comes sweeping changes to the methods and processes behind trademark registration and enforcement.  While the bill received royal assent, changes…

I'd like to chime in about the recent trademark news concerning the Washington Redskins football team. If you are unaware of the recent controversy, the story begins at least as early as 1992, when Suzan Harjo and six other plaintiffs…

Scotiabank acquired ING Bank of Canada in 2012, and in November of 2013, applied for a trade-mark for a new name for the banking subsidiary, TANGERINE.  The name is fresh and allows the continued use of the bright orange formerly…

Businesses need to plan ahead and consider future markets for their trademarks. The popular photo-sharing website PINTEREST.COM ("Pinterest") failed to secure trademark rights in Europe in November 2013 when the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market ("OHIM") determined that…

Next time you're clowning around, be sure not to imitate any other clowns, or you could be held liable! All kidding aside, most artistic performers, and (according to Wikipedia) particularly clowns, participate in an unspoken Code of Non-Infringement.  Essentially this…