Trademarks - Margaret Fitzpatrick - LifeSciences BC

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOWABOUT TRADEMARKSTools for Protecting & CommercializingLife ScienceSeptember 2009Margaret FitzpatrickGowling Lafleur Henderson LLP

WHAT ARE TRADEMARKS?‣ Brand Names‣ Badges of Quality‣ Long term Investment for your Company‣ Tool to Diversify your Business

TYPES OF TRADEMARKS‣ Words LEXUS‣ Designs‣ Slogans COMES WITH ATTITUDE‣ Shapes

TRADEMARKS ARE NOT‣ Copyright‣ Patents‣ Generic Words‣ Names for New Products

TRADEMARK RIGHTS‣ By Country (exception EU)‣ Canada / USA commence with Use‣ Most of the Rest of the World– FIRST TO FILE

STRATEGIES IN CHOOSING‣ A Good Mark‣ Unique Marks are Best‣ Strong v. Weak‣ Suggestive‣ Arbitrary / Fanciful‣ New Words or Symbols‣ Foreign Implications

FOREIGN IMPLICATIONS‣ Does it read backwards?‣ Is it pronounceable everywhere?‣ Does it mean something rude or slang inanother country?‣ Is it registrable?‣ Work with local experts in language andindustry specific

STRATEGIES ON USING‣ Search‣ Rights through Use‣ How to Use

STRATEGIES ON HOW TOAVOID LOSING‣ Use Consistently‣ Do not allow others to use w/o licence‣ Label or advertise correctly‣ Use, Use, Use‣ Register (cost is peanuts compared toenforcing your rights against others)DO NOT TIE YOUR BUSINESS TO MARKSTHAT OTHERS CAN USE OR, WORSE,TO MARKS YOU CANNOT USE

BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET‣ Trademark / trade name creation– Name of company, etc– Graphic design – logo‣ Trademark clearance‣ Trademark registrationWHERE DO TMS FIT INTO YOUR BUDGET?BEFORE HIRING KEY PERSONNEL?BEFORE FURNITURE AND COMPUTERS?

INTERNATIONAL‣ Searches– Internet exposure– Global brands‣ Registration‣ Paris Convention‣ Strategies– Tiers of importance

LICENSING‣ Benefits (strengthening tm protection,increased cashflow, expansion brandawareness)‣ Universal terms typically acceptable‣ Elements of control essential‣ Showing fulfillment of control terms‣ Essential to license all uses by others

PHARMA SPECIFIC‣ Patent Protection‣ Life Cycle‣ Trademark Strategies‣ Trademarks Last Forever‣ Look Alikes Sound Alikes

TRADEMARKS NEEDSTRATEGY‣ Budget‣ Choose Carefully‣ Consider Geographic Exposure‣ Search to Clear‣ Use and Avoid Losing‣ Register‣ License