Update on Postal Strike – CIPO’s processing of outgoing mail
June 9, 2011
As an update to this story, CIPO has provided further guidance as to how it will handle outgoing mail during the postal strike.
CIPO will assess outgoing correspondence on a daily basis and will send essential date-sensitive correspondence via courier. Additionally, correspondence and other documents with respect to opposition proceedings will be sent either by courier or facsimile. It appears that trademark owners or their agents may also arrange for a pick-up service by sending a written request to CIPO.
Posted by Karen Monteith | Filed Under Uncategorized | No Comments »
Not Going Postal
June 3, 2011
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers has announced a rotating postal strike in Canada. If the Union and Canada Post do not reach an agreement, it is likely that the strike will escalate. A full strike will mean that mail will not be delivered in Canada, including outgoing correspondence from the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (“CIPO”).
While CIPO has a policy to ensure that correspondence may be delivered to CIPO and its designated establishments throughout Canada, it does not have a policy or plans to deal with outgoing correspondence to trademark applicants/owners and their agents. Consequently, if the postal stike carries on for an extended period there may be some adverse consequences for trademark applicants/owners if they or their agents are not taking alternate or additional steps to monitor applications/registrations for any correspondence issued by CIPO with respect to same during the strike.
Posted by Karen Monteith | Filed Under Uncategorized | No Comments »
Stanley Cup Playoffs Spark Trademark Activity
May 30, 2011
The final round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs is about to kick off here in Vancouver, with the hometown Canucks facing off for the first time ever in the playoffs against the storied Boston Bruins. Perhaps not surprisingly, local businesses in Vancouver are looking to capitalize on this historic event in different ways.
For example, the Vancouver Province is reporting that the Boston Pizza chain has temporarily (and wisely) rebranded itself as Vancouver Pizza, for the duration of the series.
Earlier in the playoffs, a local automobile dealership that was using the phrase “Go Canucks Go” and the team’s logo on the window of the dealership premises, received a cease and desist letter from the offices of the National Hockey League, demanding that the references to the CANUCKS word mark and logo be removed from their window.
No doubt as the series cranks up, other local businesses will find equally creative ways to get in on the action.
Posted by Neil Melliship | Filed Under Branding, Protection & Enforcement | No Comments »