Hot Topics in International Trade - Wood Chucks Chuck Canadian Lumber tariffs
Regulatory Ramblings: Episode 72 - Cultural Roots, Belonging, and the Fear of Change: What’s Next for Inclusion?
Daily Compliance News: June 24, 2025, The Questions, Questions, and More Questions Edition
Hot Topics in International Trade - Tariff Mitigation Strategies
Everything Compliance, Shout Outs and Rants: Episode 151, The What is Illegal DEI Edition
Daily Compliance News: March 7, 2025, The No Jail Time Edition
Adapting to Tariffs and Other Trade Policy Shifts Under the Trump Administration
A Brief Primer on Tariffs Under the Trump Administration
Protect, Prepare, Prevail: Navigating a Complex Cybersecurity World
Private M&A 2024: Key Trends and Forecasts
Patent Considerations in View of the Nearshoring Trends to the Americas
Examining E-Discovery in Competition Law
No Password Required: Education Lead at Semgrep and Former Czar for Canada’s Election Security
Shifting Dynamics in Private Equity
4 Key Takeaways | Major U.S. Supreme Court Trademark & Copyright Decisions
Hidden Traffic : New Human Trafficking and Child Labor Regulation in Canada with Sean Stephenson
[Podcast] Catching Up on Canadian Environmental Regulation
[Podcast] USMCA in Review, with C.J. Mahoney, Former Deputy U.S. Trade Representative
Episode 4 - USMCA and the trade relationship between the U.S.A, Mexico, & China
Five Questions, Five Answers: Electric Mobility Canada on Its Promises for a Cleaner Economy
While all brand owners desire to protect their trademarks, many do not regularly create or maintain detailed records of their use of their marks. A best practice that may pay dividends for your business, and help to protect...more
“Scandalous, obscene or immoral” trademarks are not only unregistrable in Canada, but they are also unlawful to adopt in connection with a business “as a trademark or otherwise.” While similar prohibitions have been deemed...more
On December 12, 2024, the Canadian Trademarks Opposition Board (TMOB) announced plans to initiate a pilot project in January 2025 whereby the Registrar of Trademarks will proactively issue a limited number of section 45...more
“Scandal is gossip made tedious by morality.”- O Wilde - In crafting Valley of Mother of God Gin, the founders of Foxglove Spirits, Malcolm Roberts and Shelly Perry, drew inspiration from the lush forests and fields...more
Le 26 juin 2024, le gouvernement du Québec a publié la version modifiée de son règlement relatif à l’application des obligations en matière de langue française dans le contexte du commerce et des affaires. L’édiction du...more
On June 26, 2024, the Quebec government amended its regulation relating to the application of Quebec’s language legislation in the context of commerce and business. The adoption of this Regulation to amend mainly the...more
On January 1, 2024, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) introduced significant increases to the government fees it levies on actions before the Canadian Trademarks Office, including fee increases of over 30% for...more
2023 was an active year in Canadian trademark law. Canadian Courts addressed a wide range of issues, from licensing to comparative advertising to co-branding. Notable changes also emerged from the Canadian Trademarks...more
Speakers: Kwan T Loh, Olivier Jean-Lévesque, Nora Labbancz, Reagan Seidler In this webinar, Smart & Biggar's Trademarks team will provide a roundup of Canadian IP law by highlighting some of the most important new laws,...more
Trying some healthy habits in 2024? Your trademarks want you to do the same! A trademark has value when it is distinct and enforceable. Even registered marks can lose value if proper “trademark hygiene” is not followed...more
Canada has emerged as a popular jurisdiction for trademark designations under the Madrid Protocol, a global system facilitating streamlined protection of marks across multiple countries. According to WIPO’s Madrid Yearly...more
Canadian brand owners should prepare now for fee increases coming into force in 2024. Overall, fees are set to increase by 20 to 35%. In particular, the government fee for filing a Canadian trademark application is increasing...more
The proverbial brand owner’s guidebook became a little bigger in 2022. Developments in practice opened new avenues for securing and enforcing trademark rights over the past year, including an “accelerated” path to trademark...more
Business owners will occasionally express a desire to protect their brand without much knowledge as to the purpose of a trademark or the intricacies involved in the trademark application process. What is a...more
“Official marks” are a unique feature of Canadian trademark law. Many trademark owners, even in Canada, are unaware of official marks. Those who are aware, are often unclear about the rights provided and the options available...more
Earlier in the year, the Canadian Trademarks Office announced new measures intended to improve delays in the processing of trademark applications. With the time to examination for national applications exceeding three years...more
When a corporation expands its business into Canada, consideration should be given to whether it can register its brand as a trademark in this new market. While a corporation may operate in this market without registered...more
On Monday, May 3, 2021, the Canadian Trademarks Office published two new Practice Notices with respect to Requests for expedited examination and Measures to improve timeliness in examination intended to improve delays in the...more
Some foreign brand owners may be surprised to learn that in Canada, when seeking to protect design (or figurative) marks, it is sometimes better to register marks in black and white in cases where the marks would normally be...more
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex submitted a trade mark application with the World Intellectual Property Office last year to register “SUSSEX ROYAL” in the UK, EU, Australia, Canada and the US. The application covers a range of...more
Most entrepreneurs have a general understanding that trademarks are good for business. However, many overlook the importance of having a trademark strategy in place. Simply put, a trademark can be a unique combination of...more
Trademarks are among the most valuable assets owned by companies that focus on individual consumers — from breweries to start-up app developers. Trademarks protect brands and can be found in the form of words (COCA COLA),...more
After its recent adoption of the Madrid Protocol, Canada’s Intellectual Property Office will send communications about applications filed under the Madrid Protocol to the applicant or an appointed Canadian trademark agent,...more
Since August 3, 2019, all foreign-domiciled U.S. trademark applicants, registrants and parties to proceedings before the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) Trademark Trial and Appeal Board must be represented...more
The United States Patent and Trademark Office USPTO recently announced a significant rule change. Effective August 3, 2019, all foreign-domiciled trademark applicants, registrants, and parties to Trademark Trial and Appeal...more