This is the final sprint before Canada’s new trademark law comes into effect on June 17, 2019, and you should act quickly to take advantage of the attractive fees.
For more details on the key upcoming changes, we refer you to our articles published on December 20, 2018 It’s official! – The new Canadian Trademarks Act will come into effect on June 17, 2019: What should you do to prepare? and on February 18, 2019 Three steps to take before the new Trademarks Act comes into effect in Canada.
Changes include increase of the official fees for the filing of an application and for the renewal of existing registrations. In addition, after the entry into force of the new law, all goods and services listed in an application and registration will need be classified in accordance with the Nice International Classification System.
Given these price increases, we encourage Canadian trademark owners and those interested in filing their trademarks in Canada to do the following:
1. Renew your trademark registrations to avoid per-class fees
Currently, government fees to renew a registration are $ 350 regardless of the number of classes. After June 17, 2019, government renewal fees will increase to $ 400 for first class and $ 125 for each additional class.
Since registrations can currently be renewed at any time before they expire (regardless of their renewal date) and without the need to classify the goods and services, it would be wise to renew your trademarks before the changes come into effect.
2. File multi-class trademark applications to avoid per-class fees
Currently, government fees for filing a registration application are $ 250 regardless of the number of classes. After June 17, 2019, government fees for filing an application for registration will increase to $ 330 for first class and $ 100 for each additional class.
As a result, significant savings can be achieved by applying for multi-classes applications now. Therefore, it is recommended that you consider filing trademark applications before the new law comes into effect.
The Countdown to June 17, 2019 is on and you should act NOW to save money!
To proceed or for any question, we invite you to contact your professional at Brouillette well before the temporary closure of the Canadian Trade-marks Office, ie no later than June 12, 2019.