Register a Trademark in Canada
If you are looking to register your trademark in Canada, look no further. We can do all trademark-related work in Canada for you from a trademark consulting to cancellation proceedings and oppositions. We are very confident that our prices for Canadian filings are one of the lowest while you work with the best of the best.
Canada is currently going through trademark reform with many exciting changes underway. If you are planning to file in Canada, now is the best time as very soon applicants will be charged per class (currently it’s still one fee per application).
Important highlights about the Canadian trademark registration process:
- Trademark is examined on absolute and relative grounds (meaning it can be refused if there is a similar mark or if the mark is descriptive)
- No specimens of use are required
- You can now register a trademark for marijuana since Canada has legalized cannabis for recreational use
- Trademark registration process takes about 18-24 months, so you need to be patient when filing in Canada.
Anita Mar is a registered trademark agent helping clients with trademark registration in Canada. Anita has been practising trademark law since 1999 and received the highest mark in Canada’s trademark agent qualifying exam in 2008.
Pricing of Our Packages
The prices are in CAD$ for Canada
SAIL THROUGH
- Covers filing your application and reporting the progress all the way to registration. 2 classes included. This is our entry-level package.
ALL IN
- Covers full trademark registration, including reporting and responding to non-substantive examiner’s objections and free re-filing.
BELLS AND WHISTLES
- Covers all aspects of trademark registration, including responding to all examiner’s objections and free re-filing. More free extras.
Details about pricing packages
SAIL THROUGH Package
What’s included:
Preparation and filing of your application and reporting the progress all the way to registration.
The maximum number of classes: 2. Our professional fees for each extra class is $50.
What’s not included:
Government fees, responding to examiner’s objections (office actions), the filing of a Declaration of Use ($150 extra) or requesting extensions to file a Declaration of use ($50 for each extension), opposition proceedings, free re-filing and additional extras that you get with the “ALL IN” package.
If an office action is received, you will be notified and provided with an estimate to respond based on our hourly rate. Where possible, we will try to give you a flat fee.
When to choose:
If your funds are limited and if our free trademark search didn’t uncover any obstacles to registration. Also, this package is a good choice for trademarks already in use (i.e. if you already sell in Canada as this will bypass the requirement of having to file a separate Declaration of Use, which will cost you extra).
When it’s better to choose another package:
If our search showed that there may be an objection that may need to be addressed.
If your trademark is very problematic and re-filing may be required.
If you want to include a lot of classes in your application.
If you haven’t started selling your products yet.
ALL IN Package
What’s included:
Covers everything that is included in “SAIL THROUGH” package plus reporting and responding to non-substantive (procedural) office actions, filing of a Declaration of Use, if necessary, requesting extensions to file a Declaration of Use, and free re-filing if Client’s mark is refused by Trademarks Office.
Free re-filing will be done on our “SAIL THROUGH” package conditions – you will be responsible for government fees but we will waive professional fees. Check out our FAQ section for re-filing details.
The maximum number of classes: 2. Our professional fees for each extra class is $50.
Free extras:
- We will update your company address with the Trademarks Office (value $100). One change of address is included for free.
- Unlimited consultations with us about your trademark (average value of $250).
What’s not included:
Government fees, substantive office actions, opposition proceedings and additional free extras that you get with “BELLS AND WHISTLES” package.
When to choose:
Most popular – this package gives you peace of mind and predictability of the budget. Also, this package is a good choice if you are filing for a brand new trademark not yet in use.
Why is it a better choice than “SAIL THROUGH” package:
We will deal with non-substantive office actions for free. Filing of a Declaration of Use is also included in this package. In addition, if your trademark is refused, you will have an option to file for a different trademark and our professional fees will be waived!
File with confidence:
If your trademark is refused,
We’ll file another – fee excused.
BELLS AND WHISTLES Package
What’s included:
Covers everything that is included in “ALL IN” package, including reporting and responding to all examiner’s objections and free re-filing.
Free re-filing will be on our “ALL IN” package conditions – you will be responsible for government fees but we’ll waive professional fees. Check out our FAQ section for re-filing details.
The maximum number of classes: unlimited.
Free extras:
- We will update your company address with the Trademarks Office (value $100). Unlimited changes of address.
- We will record one trademark assignment if necessary (value $150 for each trademark). You will only pay the government fee (C$100 per application)
- Unlimited consultations with us about your trademark (average of $250).
When to choose:
This package is also recommended if our trademark search uncovered some potential obstacles to your trademark registration. Also, if you want to include more than 2 classes this is the best package.
Why is this package the best?
We will deal with all office actions for free. In addition, if your trademark is refused, you will have an option to file a different trademark and our professional fees will be waived! This package gives you complete peace of mind and predictability of the budget. Read more about this package and why it’s the best here.
File with confidence:
If your trademark is refused,
We’ll file another – fee excused.
Government fees are not included in our packages and are extra
Upgrades
Upgrade 1
- Upgrade “SAIL THROUGH” package to “ALL IN” package
Upgrade 2
- Upgrade “SAIL THROUGH” package to “BELLS AND WHISTLES” package
Upgrade 3
- Upgrade “ALL IN” package to “BELLS AND WHISTLES” package
FAQ
When deciding whether to file for either a word mark or a logo, it is important to keep in mind that a logo must always be used as it is depicted in your application. In addition, if you file your logo in a particular color in the US, you must always use your logo in that particular color.
On the other hand, word marks are somewhat more flexible. When filed in all capital letters, word marks allow the trademark owner to display it in any combination of lower case and upper case letters. For example, if you filed for the word mark TRADEMARK ANGEL ROCKS, you can use it on your goods and/or services as: trademark angel rocks, Trademark Angel Rocks, or TraDeMaRk AnGeL RoCkS.
The flexibility of a word mark ultimately makes it quite appealing as it is not limited to a particular font or color and can be displayed in a combination of upper and lower-case letters. However, filing for a logo can be more advantageous in some situations.
For example, if your mark is found to be descriptive of your goods/services or uses generic words, your mark will generally be limited to the Supplemental Register. A distinct logo, however, can “carry” the mark to the Principal Register despite the descriptive nature of your mark.
Let’s say you want to file for TRADEMARK REGISTRATION CO. for a company that offers trademark registration services. That’s a mark that is descriptive of the services offered, and will therefore would be limited to registration to the Supplemental Register. If this same mark was filed with a distinctive logo, for example:
Then, the logo could provide sufficient distinctiveness to allow registration of TRADEMARK REGISTRATION CO. onto the Principal Register (with a disclaimer for “TRADEMARK REGISTRATION CO.”).
Another situation when filing for a logo is advantageous is when there are similar marks. For example, a client wanted to register the mark HAWQUE with a design element of a flying hawk 
– for computer software connecting customers to security contractors, in Class 9. We advised that the logo will most likely be registrable but the wordmark alone would be too similar to marks containing the word HAWK providing similar products in the same class. Although we received an office action alleging that the HAWQUE logo mark was confusingly similar to a registered wordmark, HAWQ, that also covered Class 9 computer software, we were ultimately able to overcome the objection. Our client’s logo, HAWQUE, was successfully registered soon after.
In another case, a client wanted to register the mark ESTEEM APPAREL, either the wordmark or the logo. However, in our initial search, we found a very similar, registered mark, ESTEEM CLOTHING. In this case, we advised that the logo would have a greater chance of registration. The client chose to file for the logo 
instead of the word mark and, although we received a confusion objection based on similarity with ESTEAM and ESTEEM CLOTHING marks, we were able to successfully able to overcome the objection and the mark was successfully registered.
Thus, as can be seen from the above examples, it is important to first determine if your mark is too descriptive to achieve registration in the Principal Register, and whether you intend to consistently display your logo on all of your products, prior to making a decision regarding whether to file for a word mark or a logo. Also, in case there are similar marks, filing for the logo may help to differentiate and ultimately achieve registration of your mark.
To open in a new tab, click: Which trademark should I File? Word Mark or Logo?
What is the difference between company name, business name, domain name and brand or trademark?
What are different types of company, domain, business or brand names? Let’s get the names straight to avoid confusion.
- Company name: Legal name of the company, either registered federally or in a certain state (or province in Canada).
Example: Microsoft Corporation
Note: one company may own more than one brand and may do business under more than one name
- Business name or doing business as: Name under which you conduct your business.
Example: Microsoft
Example: Skype
- Domain name: Name of your address on the Web.
Example: www.microsoft.com
Example: www.skype.com (Microsoft owns Skype)
- Trademark: A trademark may be one word, a combination of words, or logos (or even sounds and smells!) used to distinguish/differentiate your products or services from those of other entities.
Example: MICROSOFT, 
, or a combined mark: 
Example: SKYPE, 
Let’s take another example of a giant retailer Kraft Foods.
Company name: Kraft Foods Inc.
12 of Kraft Foods brands are sold worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oreo, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident and Tang.
For each brand Kraft Foods has a website: cadbury.co.uk; cadbury.com.au; oreo.com; oscarmayer.com, etc.
Not everyone knows that these 12 famous brands are owned by the same giant! It doesn’t really matter, what matters is that everyone knows where do buy their favorite Cadbury chocolate or Oreo cookies and everyone knows how the Oreo cookies package looks like!
To open in a new tab, click: What are different types of names? Company name vs business name vs domain name vs trademark?
If you simply business incorporate or register a corporate name, it doesn’t mean that the government approved for you to use the name as a trademark.
If we take a US LLC, as an example, every state has its own laws about business names.
You can register your LLC name in Delaware but the business name registration has no impact on the other 49 states.
In plain English, if you register Coolapples LLC in Delaware, another entity may register Coolapples LLC in Indiana. If you plan to expand nationwide or worldwide, trademark registration will provide that protection. A federal US trademark will give you exclusive rights to use your brand name for your products across the US. Likewise, a Canadian or Australian trademark will give you country-wide rights to use your chosen brand in your country and will make it easier for your to sell or license your trademark later.
To open in a new tab, click: Do I need to register a trademark if my business incorporated?
In Canada, no use is required when a trademark is filed. Before your trademark registers it must be put to use. A simple Declaration of Use must be filed. One exception: when a foreign application relies on use and registration if a foreign country.
Use is mandatory to maintain your trademark after registration. It is possible to cancel a trademark for non-use if the trademark has not been in use for 3 years after registration and there has been no good reason to justify non-use.
To open in a new tab, click: Do I have to use my trademark prior to filing in Canada? Do I have to use my trademark after registration?
It’s perfectly legal for you to use your trademark without registration. However, if you are using a trademark that is similar to another name that was adopted before you adopted your trademark, you may be liable for trademark infringement.
To minimize the risk of choosing a trademark that’s similar to another name, you should do a trademark search of the Trademark Office database of the country where you plan to use your brand and of the marketplace (check on Internet for similar names usage).
To open in a new tab, click: Can I use my trademark if it isn’t registered?
In different countries trademark opposition process is different.
In the US, trademark opposition period is only 30 days, so you have to be pretty fast if you plan to oppose.
In Canada, one has to file a trademark opposition within a 2-month period.
In the UK, an opposition period is 2 months but can be requested to 3 months upon a request made by a party that intends to oppose.
In the European Union, a notice of opposition must be filed within 3 months following the publication.
In Australia, the opposition period is 3 months from the date of publication.
To open in a new tab, click: How long is a trademark opposition process?
It takes a minimum of 8 months to register trademark in the US. If there are office actions (objections from the Trademarks Office), then registration will be delayed. It’s not uncommon for a registration to take a year or longer.
It takes 20 months to register a trademark in Canada. It’s painfully slo-o-ow. Don’t ask us why. We don’t know the answer. We feel your pain though. Hopefully, once Canada joins Madrid protocol things will improve.
You will have to wait for about 7.5 months to register a trademark in Australia.
In the European Union, the registration process is about 6-7 months. Not so bad, but the government fees are very high. If your application is filed using “fast-track” method, then the whole process may take about 4-5 months.
The winner is the United Kingdom, where it takes about 4 months from filing to registration. Added bonus is low government fees.
To open in a new tab, click: How long does it take to register a trademark?
Trademarks can last forever if they are renewed on time. Keep in mind you will have to continue using your trademark to keep it in good standing.
In the US, you must renew your trademark every 10 years. In addition, between the 5th and 6th year after the registration date, you must file an “affidavit of use” to keep the registration alive.
In Canada, a trademark has to be renewed every 15 years (the renewal period will be changed to 10 years soon).
In Australia, European Union and the United Kingdom, you have to renew your trademark every 10 years.
To open in a new tab, click: How long are trademarks valid for?
Use is essential to registration and to the maintenance of your trademark. You can’t register your trademark Canada and the US if you don’t use it. In many other countries, you need to use the trademark after registration to make sure it’s not challenged and canceled for non-use.
In Canada, using the trademark for goods (products) is simply selling your products with your trademark being displayed either on the actual products or on their packaging during the sale.
Using for services is simply advertising of the mark in Canada and the services must be performed in Canada, or be available to be performed in Canada.
To open in a new tab, click: What does “using a trademark in Canada” mean?
To open in a new tab, click: What does “using a trademark in Canada” mean?
- The full legal name of the applicant (either your company or your personal name)
- The full address of the applicant.
- The trademark name. If you are filing for a logo, we need to see the logo.
- The products which you sell or plan to sell under your trademark (provide a list).
- The services which you offer or plan to offer under your trademark (provide a list).
- Whether the trademark been used yet in Canada: yes/no. If yes, the date of first use (sale) in Canada for each product and service.
To open in a new tab, click: What’s required in order to file a trademark application in Canada?
When you file your logo in black and white, you may use your logo in any color. When you file your logo claiming color, you must use your logo in those colors.
A color claim is a limitation, which otherwise confers on the owner the exclusive right to use the mark in any color. Therefore, a color claim narrows down the protection for a mark and it is usually advisable to include such a claim only when a particular color is considered to be an important and essential feature of the mark.
In addition, a trademark logo in color is usually not the first trademark that should be filed. If an applicant files a first trademark, it’s best to file a word mark in standard characters. Such a trademark will allow the owner to use its trademark logo in any font and style. After a word mark is filed a trademark logo should be considered for filing. Of course, it may be filed at the same time as the word mark if finances allow.
Only after the word mark and the logo in black and white are protected, should a logo in color be protected if necessary.
What’s the bottom line? Unless color is an essential element of your trademark logo, don’t file in color.
Read our article for a full discussion about color claims.
To open in a new tab, click: Should I claim color as a feature of the mark?
Articles
- Differences between Canadian and US trademarks
- Understanding the latest changes to Canadian Trademark Law
- What Every Business Should Know about Trademarks Registration?
- Should I file a trademark now or should I wait
- When should I not file a trademark?
- In Whose Name Should I File My Trademark?
- Choosing and Comparing Business Structures
- What are confusingly similar trademarks?
- When should I claim color for my trademark logo?
- Can I buy someone else’s trademark?
- Taking Advantage of the Trademark Classification & the Trademark Class Systems
- 11 Trademark Tips: how should I list products and services in my trademark application?
- Can you trademark a color alone? Can you copyright a color?
- Trademarking marijuana and its products in the US and Canada
- Preserving High‑Yield Cannabis Strains in Canada is an Evolving Concern and Priority