On June 17, 2019, Canada’s Trademarks Act changed, resulting in its modernization. Canada has now joined five international intellectual property treaties, including the Madrid Protocol, Singapore Treaty and Nice Agreement,...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
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
Since the Lanham Act was passed in 1946, trademark protection has encompassed an ever expanding list of attributes that can be perceived as denoting the source of a product or service. Recently issued registrations cover...more
The August 2018 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter discusses requirements for registering a scent mark, the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board's confirmation on whether hashtags add distinctiveness to a...more
Hasbro, Inc. recently made headlines when it received a federal trademark registration for the scent of its Play-Doh product. While it isn’t impossible to register a trademark for a scent, it is rare, and it is a reminder of...more
On May 15, 2018, the United States Patent and Trademark Office officially registered the distinctive smell of Play-Doh, a favorite childhood toy for many. The federal registration covers “Toy modeling compounds” and states...more
The Canadian federal government is moving quickly towards legalizing the possession and consumption of cannabis for recreational purposes. However, Canada’s cannabis industry is already “overgrown” with many licensed (and...more