Patent Considerations in View of the Nearshoring Trends to the Americas
No Password Required: Education Lead at Semgrep and Former Czar for Canada’s Election Security
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
Five Questions, Five Answers: The Voice of Canadian Automotive Parts Manufacturers
The Great Green North: A Discussion on Canada’s Environmental Regulations
Blakes Continuity Podcast: Cutting Through the Weeds: A Look at Environmental Issues Impacting Businesses
Balado continuité – Environnement : nouveautés du régime d’autorisation québécois
Blakes Continuity Podcast: What to Expect When Insolvency Crosses the Border
Infrastructure and Indigenous Engagement
A Way Forward: Energy Industry Ready to Fuel Canada's Recovery
Blakes Continuity Podcast: The Moving Landscape of Foreign Investments
Blakes Continuity Podcast: COVID-19: The Regulatory Impact on Pensions
Employment and Labour in the Time of COVID-19
Nota Bene Episode 70: Examining the USMCA: Is it Simply a Rebranded NAFTA? with Scott Maberry
This Week in FCPA-Episode 96, 2018 - the Opening Day edition
“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
Earlier this year, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) announced that it will increase its official fees on January 1, 2024. Earlier this summer, we wrote about the impact on patent fees, which are increasing by...more
Section 22 of the Canadian Trademarks Act prohibits the use of a registered trademark “in a manner that is likely to have the effect of depreciating the value of the goodwill attaching thereto”....more
Earlier this week, we reported upon a new development for accelerating examination of Canadian trademark applications. However, the Trademarks Office has backtracked, imposing the previous, more onerous requirements for...more
This spring, join our Smart & Biggar trademark experts and gain new insights at our popular Canadian Trademarks webinar series. Each webinar provides practical tips and strategies for global brand protection in Canada, with a...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
The Canadian Trademarks Office (TMO) has taken several steps to reduce the backlog of trademark applications awaiting examination that now exceeds 39 months for national applications. ...more
Good News! In 2021, applications filed in Canada went up 13.7%, partly due to Canada’s accession to the Madrid Protocol. When Canada is designated via the Madrid Protocol, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office...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
Wondering why you haven’t received any updates on the progress of your client’s Madrid Protocol application designating Canada? After reading that question, are you wondering what on earth a Madrid Protocol application is?...more
If you filed a Madrid application on behalf of your client, and designated Canada, you should have received a “Courtesy Letter” from the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) advising you as follows...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