Foreign Protection

Is There a Trademark Enforcement App For That?

By In Foreign Protection, Protection & Enforcement

News today that Apple is about to obtain a US trademark registration for “THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT”.

Filed in 2009, Apple’s initial application covered both wares and services.  However, following a recent division and filing of evidence of use, the USPTO approved the registration of the mark for use in association with retail store services and various online services, including app recommendations.  Additional claims pertaining to various wares and to telecommunication services remain in the divided parent application, and Apple  has obtained an extension of time to file use information on those points.  (In Canada, Apple filed an application for “THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT” this past May; it remains pending with CIPO.)

With a registration nearly in hand, it is unclear is whether Apple plans a campaign to aggressively enforce its mark.  In addition to Apple’s use, the mark and its derivatives have been widely referenced in the US – most notably by Verizon in its “There’s A Map For That” advertising campaign (intended to mock the limited coverage of Apple’s exclusive US carrier, AT&T).  An “app for that” catch-phrase generator, “App For That“, was also developed.  And writers seem to love using the phrase in their article and blog headlines.

In this light, one wonders if such uses of the mark and its derivatives reinforce or dilute the mark’s association with Apple. If the latter, Apple will have to go on the offensive to protect its rights, lest it lose them.

We’ll keep you “app”-rised of new developments.

Consultation by CIPO on Madrid and Singapore Treaties

By In Foreign Protection, Legislation, Registration

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) recently launched a new consultation on possible Canadian accession to the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (the Madrid Protocol) and the Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks (the Singapore Treaty).

This is not the first time CIPO has looked at the issue of Canada acceding to the Madrid Protocol.  Five years ago a similar consultation took place.   In response to a request for input, CIPO received feedback  from the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada and from the International Trademark Association, though no further action was taken by CIPO at that time.

According to CIPO’s backgrounder to the current consultation, the intervening five years have seen important trading partners such as the United States join both the Madrid Protocol and the Singapore Treaty.  As a result, according to CIPO, Canada is increasingly seen as isolated in its trademark laws and practices. Read more

Maple Melee Meets End?

By In Foreign Protection

There is an update available to an earlier story we blogged concerning an ongoing dispute between American Clothing Associates SA and the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM).  We previously reported that a mark integrating Canada’s well-known maple leaf symbol could not be registered in the CTM because it contained the maple leaf, and accordingly improperly connoted an association with Canada.

In a decision released July 16th, the European Court of Justice dismissed American Clothing Associates’ appeal of this decision, and concluded that the maple leaf emblem was indeed protected as a state emblem.

Good coverage of the decision is available at German Trademark Law In A Nutshell – and thanks to Chris of GTLIAN for alerting us to the decision’s release.

Maple Leaf Melee

By In Case Law, Foreign Protection

A recent CTM case concerning an iconic Canadian symbol caught our attention.

The dispute between American Clothing Associates SA and the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (“OHIM” – the body that administrates the Community Trademark System) focuses upon the Canada’s well-known maple leaf symbol–stylized versions of which appear as part of our own logo, above.

The case considers the extent to which national symbols are afforded protection under the Community Regulation 40/94 and under the Paris Convention.  American Clothing Associates SA (“ACA”) originally sought to register a logo made up of the Maple Leaf symbol, with the letters RW located beneath, for use in association with both goods and services.

OHIM’s examiner refused the initial application concluding that the mark as a whole would improperly connote an association with Canada.  ACA appealed and lost again, the Appeal Board noting that the inclusion of the RW element in the mark did not avoid the application of Article 6ter of the Paris Convention which prohibits the use of marks incorporating State indicia without consent. Read more

Window of Opportunity: Extra savings on CTM applications until May 1, 2009

By In Foreign Protection, Registration

While not, strictly speaking, a Canadian trade-mark issue, many Canadian trade-mark owners will be interested in this limited time opportunity to save money while obtaining protection for their marks in the European Union.

The official fees for European Union Community Trade-mark (“CTM”) applications are being reduced by about 40% (from EU 1,600 to EU 900).

In addition, applicants who apply before May 1, 2009 can save an extra EU 150, because while the final registration fee (EU 850) has already been eliminated, the minimal increase in filing fees (from EU 750 to EU 900) does not take effect until May 1, 2009.

We encourage trade-mark owners considering CTM applications to act quickly to take advantage of the extra savings available before May 1, 2009.

Psion’s NETBOOK Trademark Under Fire

By In Domain Name Disputes, Domain Names, Foreign Protection, Protection & Enforcement, Registration

The dispute over Psion’s NETBOOK trademark registrations has crept further into the mainstream, following recent decisions by Dell and Intel to take legal action against Psion in the US.

For those of you who missed it, Psion is a mobile computing device manufacturer whose head office is located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Psion holds registrations for the trade-mark NETBOOK in Canada, the US, in Singapore, Hong Kong and in the CTM system.

In December, Psion sent letters to manufacturers and retailers in an attempt to “affirm” its NETBOOK trademarks. To this end, the letters requested the recipients to stop using NETBOOK to describe ultra-portable laptop computers.  Psion followed up with similar correspondence to journalists and bloggers in January. Read more

Trade-marks Act Amendments: Put Down That Glass of Canadian Burgundy!

By In Branding, Famous Marks, Foreign Protection, Legislation

On December 31st, while many readers (and writers!) of the Canadian Trademark Blog were likely raising a glass to celebrate the New Year, long-awaited amendments to the Canadian Trade-marks Act quietly came into force.  The changes pertain to Section 11.1 of the Act which deals with geographic indications.  In particular, the amendments eliminated several terms from a list of wine names that had been deemed generic, and accordingly available for use by anyone, in Canada.

The amendments were motivated by an agreement struck in 2003 between the Canadian government and the European Community concerning trade in wine and spirits.  Under the terms of that deal, the Canadian government agreed to amend the Trade-marks Act to gradually eliminate the use of certain European wine and spirit names on Canadian labels, thereby opening the door to European producers to apply for the protection of these names as geographical indications in Canada. Read more