Trademarks
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A brand starts with a single mark and can become one of the most valuable assets of your business. Trusting us with your brand is a responsibility we take very seriously. By combining trademark advice with practical business advice, we support your brand management as an essential part of your IP strategy.

With experience handling trademark registration and disputes before both the Canadian and US trademark offices, we have a team of lawyers and registered trademark agents who provide a full range of services:

  • Canadian and US trademark screening and selection
  • Practical advice on brand protection
  • Trademark registration including oppositions (unlike many firms, we handle your Canada and US trademarks ourselves)
  • Trademark-watch services
  • Trademark oppositions, infringement prosecution and defence, seizure orders and injunctions
  • Oversee registration of trademarks all over the world through our closely-maintained network, and
  • Advising on strategies for brand protection and competitive intelligence

No matter the size of your business or the industry sector, contact Austin Ward at award@fieldlaw.com or 587-956-2754 to discuss your brand management and trademark needs and get an initial assessment of your IP strategy.

August 2024 - 3 min read
Some Good News About the Backlog in Canadian Trademark Examination
As the Paris Olympics recently came to a close, we reflected on the many incredible athletic performances, the touching stories of personal triumph, defeat and resilience, and the heartwarming camaraderie shown amongst nations’ athletes. We now p...
May 2024 - 3 min read
What Happens When Your Trademark Evolves?
Trademarks often evolve as part of a brand refresh or rebrand, raising important questions about maintaining trademark rights. Before undertaking a brand refresh, consult your trademark agent to determine if a new trademark application...
May 2024 - 5 min read
Proving Use of a Trademark on Social Media
Trademarks frequently become points of contention among competitors, with social media posts now playing a significant role as evidence in these disputes. It's essential for business owners to seek guidance on how to appropriately ...
November 16, 2023
Bow Valley Business Series: Intellectual Property 101
Lunch + Learn
As a business in the Bow Valley region, you’re no stranger to the challenges and opportunities our unique business landscape presents. Join us for a series of complimentary lunch and learns designed to help you navigate these challenges effect...
February 2021 - 1 min read
Beer Brand Battle at the 100th Meridian
A Canadian band, The Tragically Hip, has sued a brewer for the use of a beer name that mimics the title of one of the band’s popular songs.Mill Street Brewery, a brand owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev (the world’s largest brewer), has a beer b...
April 2020
Will the Pandemic Impact Trademarks in Canada? - An Update
With the significant disruptions to civil society, Canadian business owners face a host of immediate concerns. Trademarks and intellectual property are naturally lower on the list, and brand owners should take some comfort that there’s a bit of b...
February 2020
Big Beer Barley Belt Brand Battle Brews
In a story that seems tailor made for alliterative headlines, the recent acquisition of Calgary’s Banded Peak Brewing by Labatt Breweries of Canada has raised questions about the fate of the trademark BARLEY BELT.  Banded Peak Brewing a...
December 2018
Pour a Glass of Trademarks
In time for the holidays, this is a tale of competing brands sloshing around the marketplace. Please enjoy responsibly.Diageo North America, Inc. is purveyor of some of the world’s best-known brands of spirits and beer, some of which are probably...
October 2018
#Hashmarks: Can a Hashtag be a Trademark?
The Medium
Through its automatic web of connections, the humble hashtag has been repurposed: it’s now associated with the cachet of internet fame.  In social media platforms the hashtag brings users from one descriptor to thousands of associated result...
August 2018
Flippin' to the B-Side
Craft Beer Trademarks
In 2015, an Ontario craft brewer, Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company (Beau’s) applied for a trademark for B-SIDE BREWING LABEL, for use in association with Ontario craft beers. The “B-Side Brewing Label” is an innovative promoti...

Textile trademark infringement claim defeated

Our Client: A manufacturer and retailer of textiles for the bedding industry based in Western Canada.
Where we began: Our client was facing a trademark infringement claim for millions of dollars in damages as well as demands that our client stop using the trademark.
Our approach: Our team argued our client had named its product using ordinary words common to the bedding industry. When the other side stubbornly dug in its heels, we created a 17-volume affidavit that documented over 500 references to the industry's use of the words in question. "We put the affidavit on the doorstep of the courthouse for entering into the public realm where, if the matter didn't resolve, all others in the industry also using those words could rely on that same evidence."
The result: The plaintiff agreed to mediation, which reversed the "who-pays-who" dynamic and led to a very favorable outcome for our client. As our lawyer put it, "A creative, strategic, team approach and hard work meant that our client obtained an outstanding settlement, so favourable that the other side required it be kept confidential lest other competitors find out."