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The idea of accessing a consumer society of 1.3 billion souls appeals highly to entrepreneurs the world over. However, finding success in the Chinese market is not for the faint-hearted. Not only are there language barriers, significant cultural differences, and business etiquett…

“It doesn't matter whether a cat is white or black, as long as it catches mice” - Deng Xiaoping

Rapid advances in artificial intelligence and automation processes have helped some lawyers to streamline their businesses and provide a faster and more cost effective service for their clients. The intellectual property sector is one of the best in class examples of this trend a…

Remember The Jetsons? Despite being over fifty years old, this children’s cartoon is still used as a reference point for what we imagine the future may look like. Hanna-Barbera produced and first aired the cartoon in the early 1960s; and how we loved it. From flying, driverless c…

In the world of trademarks, few things have driven Corporate Counsel and IP Attorneys crazier than China’s bad faith trademark epidemic. Filers seek to extract money for the transfer of marks (trademark squatting) or piggyback off the reputation of established brands.  Whatever t…

The digital world that we live in today has led to the wide availability and use of a mind-boggling amount of digital tools. These tools are used to communicate on the Internet, smart devices and through other technologies, enabling businesses to seamlessly extend their reach all…

Happy 7th Birthday TrademarkNow! It is sometimes hard to believe that in just seven short years we have come so far. Since the company was created in 2012 by the four co-founders Mikael, Heikki, Anna and Matti we have grown our customer base and now have several thousand users, w…

The Vienna Agreement was concluded in Vienna in 1973 and amended in 1985. It establishes a classification (the Vienna Classification) for marks that consist of, or contain, figurative elements. It is administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

On June 17, 2019, major amendments to Canada’s Trademarks Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. T-13) came into force. The amendments updated trademark regulations and brought Canada’s laws into line with the Madrid Protocol, the Nice Agreement and the Singapore Agreement (Treaties).  

Did you know that works subject to copyright protection can theoretically also be used as trademark signs? In most countries artistic work, a title of a book, or even a character name, can be used as a trademark - unless it falls under the provision of “descriptiveness and distin…