As you may be aware, a number of significant changes to the Canadian Trademarks Act will come into force on June 17, 2019. In order to prepare for these upcoming changes, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) has advised that it will be updating its electronic interface to add new functionalities. As a result, many online services will be unavailable between midnight on June 13, 2019 and 6:00 am on June 17, 2019. During this time, we will not be able to do any of the following online:
- File new trademark applications;
- Pay registration or renewal fees;
- File a Statement of Opposition or request an extension of time to do so;
- View the online Trademarks Database;
- View the Trademarks Journal.
Although we will still be able to make any filings and payments via fax or mail, it would be prudent to deal with any of the above prior to the CIPO online “blackout period.” Our inability to view the online Trademarks Database during this time may also affect our ability to quickly review details of third party marks in order to provide any comments or advice.
If you expect to need any assistance during this time, please let us know in advance and we would be happy to assist.