Author Archive

Trademark Settlement Agreements: Lost in Translation

Posted by Larry Munn on May 11th, 2012

A recent Ontario case is a rare example of parties seeking a judicial interpretation of a trademark settlement agreement.  It also emphasizes the importance of understanding all possible translated meanings of a word before committing to refrain from using any translated versions, a challenge that often arises in a bilingual country. In Skipper Online Services [...]

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Social Media: A Lesson for Trademark Owners

Posted by Larry Munn on April 13th, 2012

A recent Quebec case and the resulting social media criticism provides a cautionary tale for trademark owners who aggressively assert their rights.  Success in the court room may in some instances have a negative impact on goodwill. Trademark owners should be taking social media into account when assessing their litigation options. Deborah Kudzman, the founder of [...]

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A Tale of Two Trademark Appeals

Posted by Larry Munn on February 16th, 2012

In Clic International Inc. v. Convenience Food Industries (Private) Ltd., 2011 FC 1338, Clic International appealed a decision of the Registrar to expunge its trademark. The mark, which was used in association with the company’s line of canned fava beans, consisted of LAZIZA and an accompanying palm-tree design. Under s. 45 of the Trade-marks Act, [...]

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