Topic: Brands

Québec French Language Law Reform: Upcoming Changes for Businesses

Following a well-publicized debate, on May 24, 2022, the National Assembly of Québec finally passed the Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec (Bill 96), a major reform of the 1977 Charter of the French Language (the Charter, also known as Bill 101). The Charter sets out language requirements for product packaging, … Continue reading

Trade mark ownership: As easy as A-B-C?

By Alyson Poole (AU) on March 28, 2022 Posted in Brands, Enforcement, Intellectual Property, Trademark

Trade mark ownership is an important consideration for any business. Ensuring that a business holds all rights to enable it to make full use of its trade mark should be front of mind in any branding consideration. Unfortunately however, while seemingly obvious, the concept of ownership is sometimes overlooked and can be more complex than … Continue reading

TTAB rules reckless disregard for the truth constitutes fraud

By Kaylee A. Sill (US) on February 22, 2022 Posted in Brands, Consumer goods, Intellectual Property, technology and innovation

In Chutter, Inc. v. Great Management Group, LLC, a precedential decision, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) held that recklessly false representations made during the course of the trademark application process satisfy the level of intent required to support a finding of fraud before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).[1] The TTAB’s … Continue reading

Spotify successfully opposes POTIFY applications based on dilution by blurring

By Felicia Boyd (US) on February 9, 2022 Posted in Brands, Copyright, Intellectual Property, Trademark

In its first precedential decision of 2022, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) sustained two oppositions filed by Spotify AB (“Spotify”) against registration of POTIFY for use in connection with an online ordering platform and community for medical and recreational cannabis consumers to connect with legal marijuana retailers. Both oppositions were sustained on Spotify’s … Continue reading

Protection for partial products as unregistered Community designs

By Manuel Merling (DE) and Daniel Marschollek (DE) on January 12, 2022 Posted in Brands, General, Trademark

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) recently ruled on the possibility of claiming protection for a part of a product or a component part of a complex product as an unregistered Community design. The ECJ ruled that protection as an unregistered Community designs is possible if the underlying product itself has been made available to … Continue reading

Canadian Federal Court of Appeal affirms that use of variant was use of Registered Mark

By Christopher Wilson and Kevin Bushell on October 13, 2021 Posted in Brands, Intellectual Property, Trademark

The recent Federal Court of Appeal decision in Geox S.P.A. v. De Luca considered whether modifications to the appearance of a trademark went beyond the scope of the registration. The Court also highlighted important factors for brand owners to consider when licensing and refreshing a corporate logo. The Use of Variants The Registrar of Trademarks … Continue reading

Trademark protection in France: distinctiveness may result from the addition of an ornamental sign to usual or descriptive language

By Clément Monnet on October 4, 2021 Posted in Brands, Trademark

In a judgment of 17 September 2021, the Paris Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of the validity of the semi-figurative trademark a descriptive verbal element . The Judges highlighted in particular that, although the expression “vente privée” is a generic and usual designation of the services provided, the addition of a pink butterfly … Continue reading

Beijing IP Court pilots mediation program for Trademark Office appeals

By Justin Davidson (HK), Phoebe Poon (HK) and Emma Qian on September 7, 2021 Posted in Brands, General, Intellectual Property, Trademark

In response to the rapid increase in the number of trademark prosecution administrative review cases (appeals from the Trademark Office – CNIPA), the Supreme People’s Court issued a Judicial Opinion on “Promoting the Reform of Administrative Litigation Proceedings by Dividing Complicated Cases and Simple Cases ” (the “Opinion”) in May 2021. The Opinion aimed to … Continue reading

A New Progress: China Issues Judicial Interpretation for Applying Punitive Damages in Intellectual Property Infringement Cases

By Justin Davidson (HK), Phoebe Poon (HK) and Leslie Xu on July 22, 2021 Posted in Brands, Counterfeiting, Intellectual Property

Since 2013, China has gradually introduced the concept of punitive damages in the amendments to several laws on intellectual property rights, in which the elements of punitive damages were also stipulated, namely the infringement has to be “intentional” or “malicious” and “serious”. In 2020, the Civil Code was officially adopted, and it stipulates that the … Continue reading

Proactive Trademark Registration Strategy Can Prevent Costly Customs Issues in China

By Justin Davidson (HK) and Phoebe Poon (HK) on July 2, 2021 Posted in Brands, Intellectual Property, Trademark

Although it is not strictly necessary to file for a trade mark registration before using a mark, there are significant advantages to securing trademark protection, particularly in a company’s primary markets. Amongst other benefits, a trademark registration gives the owner the exclusive right to use that mark in association with the goods and services covered … Continue reading

Amazon’s 2020 Brand Protection Report – What Brand Owners Need to Know

By Sarah Pennington on May 27, 2021 Posted in Advertising, Brands, Counterfeiting, General, Intellectual Property, Trademark

On May 10, 2021, Amazon released its 2020 Brand Protection Report (the Report), the first of its kind published by the e-commerce giant. The Report offers insight into Amazon’s brand protection approach and efforts over the past year, including proactive controls, brand tools, and consequences for “bad actors”. With a growing number of fraudsters cropping … Continue reading

NATIERRA: Presenting Fresh Evidence on Appeal

By Caroline Henrie (CA) and Amy Grenon (CA) on February 17, 2021 Posted in Brands, Enforcement, Trademark

A recent decision of the Federal Court, Brandstorm, Inc. v Naturally Splendid Enterprises Ltd., 2021 FC 73, has confirmed that where “sufficiently substantial and significant” evidence is presented on review, the appeal of a decision of the Registrar of Trademarks (the Registrar) pursuant to section 56(5) of the Trademarks Act (the “Act”) can be done … Continue reading

Expedited Examination for COVID-19 Related Marks Avoid Systemic Delays in Canadian Examination

By Caroline Henrie (CA) on February 3, 2021 Posted in Brands, Trademark

The delays in Canadian trademark examination are becoming excruciating. The Trademarks Act and the Trademark Regulations provisions do not expressly provide for expedited examination of a Canadian trademark application. The long-standing practice of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (“CIPO”) was to refuse requests for the expedited examination. Section 2.2 of the Trademark Examination Manual, the … Continue reading

Michael Jordan deserves an apology from Qiaodan Sports for infringing his name rights for over 20 years

By Justin Davidson (HK) and Phoebe Poon (HK) on February 1, 2021 Posted in Brands, Intellectual Property, Trademark

According to the Shanghai Xinhua News Agency, the Shanghai Second Intermediate People’s Court handed down a first instance decision on 30 December 2020 in favour of Michael Jordan against Qiaodan Sports Company and Bairen Trading Company (both Chinese local companies) in respect of infringement of Michael Jordan’s name rights. In the lawsuit, Michael Jordan claimed … Continue reading

Passing off as Parsons: Injunction and Damages Granted to Halt Phishing Website

By Caroline Henrie (CA) on January 25, 2021 Posted in Advertising, Brands, Domain names, Enforcement, Trademark

Last week, in Parsons Inc. v Khan, 2021 FC 57, the Federal Court found the owner of a phishing website liable for passing itself off as the Applicants’, Parsons Corporation and Parsons Inc. (“Parsons”). Parsons, a multinational engineering and construction firm with a Canadian subsidiary, has applied-for and used, but not yet registered, the PARSONS … Continue reading

How the Canadian Trademarks Office Considers Inherent Distinctiveness

By Caroline Henrie (CA) on January 9, 2021 Posted in Brands, Trademark

Inherent distinctiveness is a measure of a trademark’s originality – those elements that make a brand unique and recognizable to the public. Trademarks indicate the source of goods or services for consumers. As such, distinctiveness is said to be the “essence of a protectable trademark and the foundation of trademark law”[1]. Canada Now Examines for … Continue reading

Breaking new ground(s)? McDonald’s opposes “McMortgage” citing depreciation of goodwill

By Elizabeth Williams (CA) and Iwan Davies (CA) on January 5, 2021 Posted in Brands, Trademark

For the first time ever, Canada’s Trademark Opposition Board (TMOB) has held that a ‘depreciation of goodwill’ claim can serve as a valid ground of opposition in trademark opposition proceedings. In doing so, the TMOB has arguably continued the recent trend in Canadian trademark jurisprudence of expanding the application of the depreciation of goodwill remedy … Continue reading

New common EU Guideline on genuine use of trademarks in a form differing from the one registered

By Manuel Merling (DE) on November 24, 2020 Posted in Brands, Trademark

On October 15, 2020, the European Union Intellectual Property Network (EUIPN) has published its Common Practice No. 8 (CP8) about the ‘Use of a trade mark in a form differing from the one registered’. The CP8 provides guidelines and practical examples for users about the common standards to be applied by the EU Trademark Office … Continue reading