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
General
Emerging e-commerce trends in China and the potential impact on brands in a global marketplace


Background
E-commerce has brought many opportunities for brands to expand their footprint and tap into global markets. However, it has also given rise to a myriad of intellectual property (IP) infringement issues for companies, particularly for trade mark infringement and…
Canadian Trademarks Office Takes Steps to Address Backlog

On May 3, 2021, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) published two new practice notices: (1) Measures to improve timeliness in examination; and (2) Requests for expedited examination. These notices outline CIPO’s plan to help clear…
Canada Consults on Online Copyright Reform
On Wednesday, April 14, 2021, the Canadian government launched a consultation on “a Modern Copyright Framework for Online Intermediaries”, seeking comments from the public until May 31. The goal of this consultation is to “ensure that Canada’s copyright framework for…
Revisions to PRC Medical Devices Regulations


The PRC Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Medical Devices (“Regulations”) have recently been amended and promulgated by the State Council. The new Regulations, which will be effective from 1st June 2021, provide some important changes of…
Executive Order to breathe new life into Made-in-America rules


Federal acquisition law and regulations often require government agencies to give purchasing preference to domestic suppliers. These preferences—some of which have remained unchanged since the Eisenhower Administration—have not always been implemented consistently or effectively. That uncertain landscape may be about…
Federal Court of Appeal Reviews Meaning of “Use” of a Trademark in Canada

In Miller Thomson LLP v Hilton Worldwide Holding LLP, 2020 FCA 134, the Canadian Federal Court of Appeal recently confirmed that a trademark associated with “hotel services” was valid despite no brick-and-mortar presence in Canada. More specifically, the…
Protecting goodwill: When in doubt, be kind!
For many people the word “BOSS” on a piece of clothing evokes the German luxury fashion house Hugo Boss. (Employers usually don’t need to affix a BOSS mark on their clothes to signal their position.)
Yet for some, especially in…
Domain Names and Online Trademarks: When is a Consumer Confused?
As more businesses move online, the value and importance of domain names and online trademark enforcement grows. The Superior Court of Quebec has reaffirmed that a confusing domain can land your business in legal trouble.
The dispute arose between the…
Comparing Apples and Oranges (and Pears?)
The saying goes you can’t compare apples and oranges, but technology giant Apple is arguing that you can compare, and even confuse, apples and pears.
In late 2019, Super Healthy Kids applied to register a pear-shaped trademark in Canada for…