In-N-Out, the popular California burger chain, sued Puma for trademark infringement. Why would a sports apparel retailer initiate an IP battle against a fast food chain?
Puma collaborated with streetwear designer Mike Cherman and released sneakers branded ‘Cali-0 Drive Thru’ and ‘California Drive Thru’. The sneakers were simple white leather low-tops with a red trim on the bottom and laces with a palm tree pattern.
Now that Canada is the 104th member of the Madrid System, it is integral that non-Canadian business owners understand the importance of retaining the appropriate Canadian trademark practitioner for their matter. Wises has the capacities of both a trademark lawyer and registered trademark agent, offering you a full range of trademark services.
China’s ‘first-to-file’ system provides opportunistic squatters the ability to register trademarks despite having no intention of using them in the market, thereby making it difficult for legitimate trademark owners to register their brands in China.
Some of the most well-known registered rademarks in the world are surnames – McDonalds, Dell and Ford. However, registering a trademark that is primarily a surname is prohibited in both Canada and the United States. What is the trick?
Can you register the name HOLLYWOOD for films and entertainment services? What about MUNICH for beer and pretzels? A resident of Haliburton recently registered the trademark HALIBURTON in association with various goods, causing much debate and controversy amongst the local government officials – particularly in light of recent case law in Canadian trademark law.
We are proud to announce that Wises has been named Most Innovative Law Firm: Canada by the U.K. publication Acquisition International. Thank you to all of our clients and colleagues for support in helping us build a first class business and trademark practice here in Oakville.
The World Cup attracts some of the biggest brand name sponsors in the world including Adidas, MacDonald’s, Sony and Budweiser. FIFA official partners reportedly pay $20-50 million per event to take part as sponsors in the World Cup. This year the total financial contributions to FIFA by the 20 official business partners of the World Cup reached an estimated $1.4 billion.
Effective brand development and protection goes far beyond trademark registration. Intellectual property rights are just one element of a brand. As a business operator, you must the elements of your brand that you have secured legal rights to are the same elements that resonate with the market.
Proposed housekeeping changes welcome, but the spotlight belongs to troubling fundamental shift.
By Andriy Holuk, Student-at-Law – WISES
Title by Robert J. Wise, Lawyer and Trademark Agent – WISES
Trade-mark law in Canada may soon undergo significant overhauls.
Watch for our blog this week on Bill C-31.