Distinctiveness

February 9, 2023
Side view of a gray housecat's head against a plain gray background.

FCA Upholds Refusal to Grant “procat” Trademark

2023 FCA 4: The prefix "pro" did little to make Puma's "procat" mark distinctive over Caterpillar's CAT & Triangle Design.
October 18, 2021
Photo of a yellow Caterpillar-brand bulldozer against a snowy backdrop.

Caterpillar Scratches Back: Puma Loses Bid to Register ‘procat’ Mark

2021 FC 974: The Federal Court concluded that Puma’s use of procat would likely cause confusion with heavy equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Inc.’s ‘CAT’ trademark.
September 3, 2020
Photo of a glass, maple-leaf-shaped bottle containing maple syrup.

Learning From Aunt Jemima: Abandoning Offensive Trademarks in Canada

With problematic brands like Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben being dropped, how can brand owners prevent third parties from hijacking the discontinued marks?
June 4, 2020
Hand in rubber glove holding a spray bottle of bleach

Federal Court of Appeal Confirms New Standard of Review in Trademark Appeals

The Federal Court of Appeal (“FCA”) has clarified how Vavilov's standard of review will apply to decisions made by the Trademarks Opposition Board (“TMOB”).
January 17, 2020
Photo of two jars of weed for sale in a cannabis store.

Beat the Weeds: File Your Cannabis Trademarks in Canada

Because of the status of cannabis and trademark laws in the US, brand owners are looking to Canada to register their cannabis trademarks.
December 11, 2018

CAFC Confirms That Surnames May Be Registered as Trademarks If They Acquired Distinctiveness

Fed. Cir. 2017-1468 – The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit confirms that surname may be registered as trademark as it acquired distinctiveness.
December 6, 2018

FC Upholds Registrar’s Decision Refusing Confusing Trademark Registration

2018 FC 951 – The FC reiterates that trademarks will not be registered if they are likely to confuse consumers.
November 27, 2018

Trademark Variants Must Retain Distinctive Features to Show Use of the Registered Mark

2018 FC 941 – The FC confirms that trademark variants must retain distinctive features to demonstrate “use” of the registered Mark.
September 11, 2018

Federal Court Allows New Evidence Pursuant to Section 56 of Trade-marks Act, Allows Appeal

2018 FC 853 - The Federal Court allowed Swatch AG’s appeal of a decision of the Registrar of Trade-marks allowing Hudson Watch Inc’s opposition to Swatch’s registration of its “iSWATCH” mark.