Some foreign brand owners may be surprised to learn that in Canada, when seeking to protect design (or figurative) marks, it is sometimes better to register marks in black and white in cases where the marks would normally be...more
Earlier this month, the Federal Circuit issued a precedential ruling on the question of whether a color mark for product packaging can ever be inherently distinctive, holding that the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB)...more
2018 was an exciting year for the trademarks profession in Canada. The long awaited changes to our Trademarks Act were announced, many of which will bring us in line this year with the rest of the world. There will also be a...more
Last month, the Pantone Color Institute announced that the color of the year for 2019 is PANTONE® 16-1546 Living Coral. Brand owners have long understood the psychology of color in creating their brand identity. The right...more
The January 2019 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter discusses Pantone Color Institute's 2019 color of the year, pointers on protecting logos through copyright registration, Korea's notable amendments to...more
Colours can function as indicators of source, and many colours acquire distinctiveness over time. When thinking of the colour green in association with farm tractors, the John Deere company may come to mind. Or seeing the...more
The color purple has long been associated with royalty, so perhaps it should come as no surprise that Pantone’s color of the year for 2018 --the year of the next royal wedding-- is PANTONE® 18-3838 Ultra Violet, a blue-based...more
Years after the Christian Louboutin v. Yves Saint Laurent battle over red soled shoes, trademark protection for color continues to be a hot topic. On August 22, 2017, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) held that...more
Last month, Federal Express announced that all of its logos moving forward would use the brand's recognizable purple and orange color scheme. Before this change, each division of the company used different colors paired with...more