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trade-mark

Trade Dress: Redress for Handbag Theft (of the Non-Mugging Variety)

Trade Dress: Redress for Handbag Theft (of the Non-Mugging Variety)

Knockoffs run rampant in the retail and fashion industries. For those of us that are fashion-forward but not looking to incur debilitating debt, we resign ourselves to settling for the closest lookalike. But while these products may save us some money, it is usually at the expense of designers from whose unique and original work […]

Prof. Dinwoodie Kicks-off the 2014-2015 IP Osgoode Speaks Series With a Thought-provoking Talk on the Territoriality of Trademarks

Prof. Dinwoodie Kicks-off the 2014-2015 IP Osgoode Speaks Series With a Thought-provoking Talk on the Territoriality of Trademarks

On Thursday September 18th, IP Osgoode presented the first talk of its IP Osgoode Speaks Series for the 2014-2015 academic year. Visiting from the University of Oxford, Professor Graeme B. Dinwoodie challenged a room full of eager listeners with his lecture entitled “Territoriality of Trade Marks in a Post-National Era.” For two hours Professor Dinwoodie captivated […]

"CANDY" Trade-mark Proves Too Bitter for King

"CANDY" Trade-mark Proves Too Bitter for King

Video game developer King made headlines and the IPilogue last month when they applied for a trade-mark for the word CANDY in the United States. The move generated extensive commentary and negative backlash from game developers and the gaming community at large. While it is unclear if causing a news buzz was the impetus behind the application, King […]

Reality Check: Federal Court Rejects Bridgestone’s Hypothetical Channels of Trade Argument in Confusion Analysis

Reality Check: Federal Court Rejects Bridgestone’s Hypothetical Channels of Trade Argument in Confusion Analysis

The Federal Court recently dismissed an appeal from the Trade-marks Opposition Board regarding confusion between trade-marks for Bridgestone's motor tires and Campagnolo's specialty bike accessories. What made this case especially interesting were the comments on arguments regarding "hypothetical channels of trade".

Will "Candy" Trademark Prove Sweet or Bitter for King?

Will "Candy" Trademark Prove Sweet or Bitter for King?

Video game developer King, maker of the insanely popular and addictive Candy Crush Saga, has been granted a US trade-mark for the word "Candy". While previously owning trade-marks over the specific designs and game titles, this is the first common word successfully trade-marked by King. Some are worried registering a common word is an over-extension of intellectual property rights, while […]

IP Intensive Program: Taking a Look Behind the Wizard’s Curtain – A Semester at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office

IP Intensive Program: Taking a Look Behind the Wizard’s Curtain – A Semester at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office

Off in the far-away land of our nation’s capital (actually, across the river in Gatineau, Quebec, to be specific) exists a mystical place. A building where applications are examined, rights are granted, and hearings are heard. I spent the better part of a semester at this office, and the experience I had there will without […]

Beer, Reform, and Policy: A Pint of Chinese Trade-mark Law

Beer, Reform, and Policy: A Pint of Chinese Trade-mark Law

If you want to order a Heineken in China, just ask the bartender for a “喜力啤酒” (pronounced “see lee pee jow”). The second word-pair, “啤酒”(“pee jow”), simply means “beer” and can be ubiquitously used to order beer in China. But the first word-pair, “喜力” (“see lee”), is the trade name chosen by Heineken to represent […]

The Living Daylights (…Scents, Tastes, and Sounds): Bill C-56 Forebodes Drastic Trade-mark Reform

The Living Daylights (…Scents, Tastes, and Sounds): Bill C-56 Forebodes Drastic Trade-mark Reform

Bill C-56, a new and inevitably controversial piece of proposed legislation, was introduced on March 1, 2013. With the short title, Combating Counterfeit Products Act, the message seems simple, but contained within it are extensive proposals to change both the Copyright Act and the Trade-marks Act in Canada.