Significant Changes To The Trade-Marks Act In Omnibus Budget Implementation Bill Tabled In Parliament – Simplification Or Complication?

The Canadian government has today tabled an omnibus budget implementation bill, Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No.1 (the "Bill"), that contains significant amendments designed to conform Canada’s Trade-marks Act with major international trademark treaties, namely the Madrid Protocol, the Nice Agreement and the Singapore Treaty. If passed, these would be the most significant amendments to the Act since it was first enacted in 1953.  

The Bill proposes amendments to reduce the information required when filing a new application, eliminates the requirement to file a declaration of use in Canada prior to registration, reduces the term of registration of a trademark from 15 to 10 years, and adopts the classification system established by the Nice Agreement.