Over the last few years, there has been increasing debate surrounding the appropriate trademark classification for digital assets. The most recent edition of the Nice Classification (the 12th Edition), which took effect on...more
Foreign brand owners can file trademark applications in China as national applications (CNAs) or International Registrations (IRs) under the Madrid Protocol. There are pros and cons to each route, and brand owners may find it...more
On July 30, 2019, Canada acceded to the Patent Law Treaty. This accession marks the near completion of a long and ambitious journey by Canada to modernize its patent, trademark and industrial design laws and to harmonize...more
After five years of anticipation, sweeping changes to Canada’s trademark law will finally come into force on June 17, 2019. The changes, which are substantial, have been canvassed in previous IP Updates. The following briefly...more
With the long awaited changes to the Canadian Trademarks Act and Regulations just around the corner, brand owners should be excited about Canada’s alignment with international trademark standards and the new opportunities...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
After five years of uncertainty and speculation, a date has been set for Canada’s drastic new trademark laws to come into force. Five months from today, on June 17, 2019, brand owners and local, national and global companies...more
June 17, 2019 is the big day – a day anticipated since 2014. The major changes to the Canadian Trademarks Act will be implemented on this day. What does this mean for trademark owners?...more
The wait is over! The Canadian Privy Council Office recently announced that the long-anticipated changes to Canada’s trademark laws will officially go into effect June 17, 2019. ...more
After years of uncertainty, a date has been finally been set for the implementation of Canada’s new trademark law. The new law will come into force on June 17, 2019. This date was announced today, with the publication of the...more
WIPO recently put out a notice that the 2019 version of the 11th edition of the Nice Classification will enter into force on January 1, 2019 and with it will come several changes from the previous version...more
With the momentum building in the trend towards connected and autonomously driven vehicles, automotive companies should review their trademark portfolios to ensure that their key marks are covered for goods and services in...more
As trade talks between Canada and the United States dominate the headlines, it is hard to ignore the strong economic ties between these neighbouring nations. For example, the total volume of goods exported from the U.S. in to...more
Those of us with clients who do business in Canada have been watching with interest as Canada prepares to implement significant changes to its trademark laws. The new Trademarks Act (no more Trade-hyphen- marks!) was enacted...more
As 2017 draws to a close and we begin to look forward to the new year, the countdown to the implementation of Canada’s new trademark law begins in earnest. Announced in 2014, Canada’s Bill C-31 is expected to be implemented...more
As we reported previously, Canadian trademark law will be significantly changed to adhere to several international treaties. Although the timing of the changes is uncertain, it appears that the changes are likely to come...more