对官方标识的考验：在加拿大新机制下废止官方标识

加拿大商标局近期根据新的官方标识废止机制作出了首份裁决，首次成功废止了官方标识，这对商标权人而言具有里程碑意义。该案最初源于Circle Internet Holdings, Inc.（以下简称“Circle”）提交的一件商标申请，该申请因蒙特利尔证券交易所（Bourse de Montreal, Inc.）持有的官方标识而根据《加拿大商标法》第9条遭到驳回。在新的废止机制下，麦仕奇成功代表Circle在加拿大商标局进行了维权。去年，请求商标注册处撤销（或“废止”）官方标识的新机制正式生效。官方标识在加拿大拥有独特制度，其不受普通商标所面临的限制，但仅限由加拿大的“公共机构”采用和使用。有关该机制的更多详情，可点击此处^*1查阅我们之前的文章。

The Canadian Trademarks Office recently issued its first decision under the new official mark inactivation mechanism, which resulted in the first successful inactivation of an official mark and an important development for trademark owners. The case initially stemmed from a trademark application filed by Circle Internet Holdings, Inc. (Circle) which received an objection under section 9 of the Canadian Trademarks Act based on an official mark held by the Bourse de Montreal, Inc. Circle was successfully represented by Marks & Clerk before the Canadian Trademarks Office under the new inactivation mechanism. Last year, the new mechanism for requesting the Trademarks Registrar to cancel (or “inactivate”) an official mark came into effect. Unique to Canada, official marks are not subject to the same restrictions as regular trademarks but may only be adopted and used by a “public authority” in Canada. For further details on the mechanism, you can take a look at our prior article here^*1.

*1 https://www.marks-clerk.com/insights/latest-insights/102k8r2-cipo-update-trademarks-new-tool-for-challenging-official-marks-in-canada/

此前，商标权人应对此类驳回的方案十分有限，因为官方标识无需续展即可无限期保留在注册簿上，且不像普通商标那样会因未使用而面临简易撤销程序。

Previously, trademark owners had limited options for overcoming such objections since official marks can remain on the register indefinitely without needing to be renewed and are not subject to summary cancellation proceedings for non-use like for regular trademarks.

以我们的客户Circle（一家总部位于美国的知名支付技术公司）为例，其一项加拿大商标申请因与蒙特利尔证券交易所公司（系TMX Group Limited的子公司，该集团以运营包括多伦多证券交易所和蒙特利尔证券交易所在内的证券交易所而闻名）持有的官方标识构成完全相同而遭到驳回。若无法获得官方标识持有人的同意，或无法合理论证双方标识在外观上存在显著差异，那么在这一新机制存在之前，几乎别无他法可让自己的商标获准注册。

In the case of our client, Circle (a prominent payments technology company based in the US), one of their Canadian trademark applications was objected based on an identical official mark held by Bourse de Montreal Inc. (a subsidiary of TMX Group Limited best known for its stock exchanges, including the Toronto Stock Exchange and Montreal Exchange). Absent consent from the official mark holder or reasonable arguments that the marks were sufficiently different in appearance, there was little recourse if not for the new mechanism.

鉴于对官方标识的状态提出质疑的一方负有初步举证责任，需证明该官方标识的持有人并非加拿大的公共机构，因此本案的关键在于对蒙特利尔证券交易所公司进行正式调查，并收集证据以证明该公司实际是一家营利性公司，其活动未受到政府在相当程度上的控制，因此不符合加拿大“公共机构”的认定标准。

Since the initial burden is on the party challenging the status of the official mark to demonstrate that the official mark holder is not a public authority in Canada, the key was to conduct a formal investigation of Bourse de Montreal Inc. and compile evidence to support that it was a for-profit company not subject to a significant degree of governmental control over its activities and therefore did not qualify as a “public authority” in Canada.

最终，证据清晰且无可争议，从而促成了新机制下首个官方标识被废止的结果 — 注册处已在2月发布了官方通知，且上诉期限已于3月届满 – 从而成功为Circle在加拿大注册其商标扫清了障碍。

Ultimately, the evidence was clear and uncontested, which led to the first inactivation of an official mark under the new mechanism — with an official notice issued by the Registrar in February, and the deadline to appeal having passed in March – thus successfully clearing the path for Circle to register its trademark in Canada.

本案的结果表明，新的废止机制可为商标权人提供一条有意义的途径，用以挑战那些原本长期构成注册障碍的官方标识，尤其是在无法获得同意且传统主张所提供的救济手段有限的情况下。

This outcome in this case demonstrates how the new inactivation mechanism can be used to provide trademark owners with a meaningful avenue to challenge official marks that might otherwise present long‑standing barriers to registration, particularly where consent is unavailable and traditional arguments offer limited recourse.

如果您或您的客户因官方标识而遭到了商标申请驳回，并需要任何协助，请联系我们加拿大商标团队^*2的成员。

If you or your client have received an objection to a trademark application in view of an official mark and need any assistance, please contact a member of our Canadian trademarks^*2 team.

*2 https://www.marks-clerk.com/expertise/services/brands-trade-marks/

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联系作者 Contact the authors

Michael O'Neill: moneill@marks-clerk.ca

Avery Lee: aclee@marks-clerk.ca