The Canadian Trade-marks Act will be amended effective June 17, 2019.

As a result, the Act will undergo a complete overhaul on various aspects of trademark prosecution, registration, and enforcement. These changes include:

  • Elimination of the "use" requirement in trademark applications
  • Expansion of the definition of trademark to cover non-traditional marks
  • New administrative process for invalidating an official mark
  • New international filings for trademark applications
  • Shorter term of registration from 15 years to 10 years
  • Introduction of "bad faith" as a basis to oppose trademark applications

These and other changes to IP law were highlighted previously in the article, Proposed Changes to IP Law: Will they impact your business?

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.