Alison Hayman has been quoted in the cbc.ca article “‘Trademark Squatting’ Hurts Artists and Small Businesses and it’s Coming to Canada.”
Writes Jason Osler: “Changes coming to Canada’s Trademarks Act next year could see more people making attempts to trademark basic words. At the moment, if you trademark a word, it has to be used. Effective next year, you can own the trademark to a word even if you aren’t using it.
Says Alison: “This particular change, the elimination of the use requirement, has been very controversial. There’s some concern that it’s going to lead to an increase in trademark squatting—people filing applications with no real intention to use it.”
The article goes on to note that: “Trademark squatters aim to block others trying to file legitimate trademarks and to sell the registration back to them at a premium. The practice is common with internet domains and, according to Hayman, is already happening with trademarks.”