In June 2014, Bill C-31, the Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No.
1, received Royal Assent. Among other things, the Bill contained
significant amendments to Canada's Trademarks Act that will
fundamentally change Canadian trade mark law and practice. Expected
to come into force in late 2016 or 2017, the amendments also
facilitate Canada's accession to the Madrid Protocol, Nice
Agreement, and Singapore Treaty.
Other amendments to the Trademarks Act contained in the
Combatting Counterfeit Products Act, and implemented in early 2015,
created new border measures designed to provide registered trade
mark owners with additional tools to stop the import and sale of
counterfeits.
The following represents a brief summary of some of the most
notable changes and their impact on the pharmaceutical trade mark
field.
