Intellectual
Property

We help you define a long-term strategy to ensure the value of your creations and ideas is protected globally.

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Intellectual property refers to the legal protection of creations of the mind, such as inventions, artistic works, symbols, names, or images. This protection gives the owner an exclusive right to use, control and benefit from their intellectual property. They can also prevent others from using it without their permission. Examples of intellectual property include trademarks, logos, slogans, paintings, movies, books and inventions.

What is Intellectual Property?

Benefits of registering a trademark

Our Solutions

Your intellectual property can be leveraged to expand the value of your company, as well as your market share in the specific industry. We work closely with you to ensure the business value of your intellectual property increases, all while ensuring its protection against counterfeiting and infringement.

Copyright and Digital Media
‍

What is copyright?

Copyright means the right to produce, reproduce, perform, or publish an original work or a substantial part of an original work.Canada’s Copyright Act protects original literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic work from infringement. This means that if you create an original work, you own the copyright to the work and no one else can produce, reproduce, perform, or publish it without your permission.

Trademarks
‍

What is a trademark?

A trademark is a sign, brand, or symbol that is used to distinguish a person’s or company’s goods and services from others. It can be a combination of letters, words, sounds, colours, designs and more.
  • Copyright filing and registration with CIPO and USPTO
  • Conducting Copyright Titles Searches
  • Drafting commercial agreements related to copyrights such as Copyright Assignment, Copyright Transfers, Copyright Licenses
  • Advising on the treatment and management of copyright in an employment context
  • Development of copyright protection and commercialization strategies
  • Counselling in relation to copyright infringement and user rights such as fair dealing
  • Domain name enforcement and surveillance
  • Trademark Registration
  • Trademark availability search and registrability opinion
  • Trademark licensing and franchising
  • Trademark compliance with the Charter of the French Language
  • Development of trademark protection and commercialization strategies
  • Counselling in relation to trademark infringement, unfair competition and violation
  • Enforcing intellectual property rights online, such as claiming social media usernames and handles or reporting infringement
  • Advising on unfair business practices such as keyword advertising and use of trademarks in online advertising

Process to Register a Trademark

Meet

Robert Zalcman

With a strong background in software engineering and eight years of experience in corporate and commercial law, Robert focuses on advising clients in the technology and startup sectors. He assists with business transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and the drafting and negotiation of contracts.

Meet

Bianca Lessard

Bianca is originally from Montreal, Quebec, and oversees our firm’s intellectual property practice as a trademark agent in training. She is passionate about helping businesses protect their most valuable assets and will work with you to develop the best strategy. Bianca brings significant experience in the technology and Web3 industries, holding a master’s degree in Intellectual Property and Emerging Technologies from Paris. She also co-founded Canada’s first NFT gallery.

Meet

Firstname Lastname

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Why us?

We have in-depth expertise

Our clients rely on us to strategically protect and enforce their intellectual property rights, especially in the emerging technologies and digital sector. Whether you need intellectual property assistance with NFTs, crypto, blockchain (or any other technology, really) our lawyers are here to assist you. We have an understanding of emerging technologies and changing markets across our firm to help you achieve your business goals.

With the rise of the Internet and digital mediums, intellectual property is exponentially easier to infringe upon. With a professional, you can ensure your intellectual property will be protected from illegal infringement.

Our legal advice will always be accessible and reflect our expertise working in technology and digital media industries. Through their various endeavours in the digital sector, our lawyers are always up-to-date on recent legal developments affecting intellectual property rights.

We do things differently

At Renno & Co, We pride ourselves in being a modern law firm, using technologies to make our processes not only easier for you, but also less costly. We strive to offer comprehensive, accessible and responsive counsel on intellectual property matters.

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Testimonials

Our clients, our pride

Dès le départ, j'ai su que l'équipe de Renno comptait des personnes capables de sortir des sentiers battus pour nous aider à développer notre activité. Ils agissent toujours comme des partenaires et des membres de l'équipe, et non comme des professionnels externes. Je sais qu'ils sont investis dans notre réussite, ce qui me donne confiance. Ils sont devenus l'une de mes personnes préférées avec qui travailler !

Lisa Loud
FluideFi

Ce qui me tient le plus à cœur, c'est d'obtenir des réponses commerciales pratiques à mes questions et à mes défis. Quelqu'un capable de comprendre rapidement nos activités et de bien s'adapter à notre façon de faire des affaires. L'équipe de Renno & Co est à la fois pratique et réactive. Ils comprennent ma réalité et savent comment créer de la valeur pour mon équipe.

Lorne Sugarman
PDG de Metaverse Group

La plupart des transactions commerciales sont annulées parce que les équipes juridiques ne sont pas suffisamment réactives ou parce qu'elles soulèvent un problème sur une longue période. L'équipe Renno n'est pas comme ça. Ils nous aident à faire avancer les choses à temps. Ils nous aident à repérer les angles morts et à ne pas nous perdre dans les facteurs sans importance. Cela fait toute la différence dans notre secteur en pleine évolution.

Deven Soni
Directeur des opérations, Tokens.com

L'équipe de Renno est fiable, efficace et professionnelle. Nous avons toujours le sentiment d'être une priorité lorsque nous travaillons avec Renno. L'équipe évalue toujours chaque situation et nous propose de multiples solutions et scénarios. Il existe très peu d'entreprises Web3 de qualité qui comprennent vraiment le marché et nos besoins. Renno est un partenaire de confiance qui possède de grandes connaissances dans le domaine.

Anne Ouellet
Directeur du marketing, Galxe

Nous avons contacté 15 cabinets d'avocats avant de choisir Renno & Co. Dans les grands cabinets d'avocats, les gens ne réagissent pas, il faut parler d'une chose à un type et d'une autre à un autre, et ils ne parlent pas en interne. L'équipe Renno nous a confié un travail avec une touche personnelle. Ils ont tout de suite compris ce que nous faisions, car ils sont dans cet espace. Ils s'attachent à donner des conseils pratiques et à résoudre les problèmes avant leur apparition.

Filip Primec
Joli hachage

C'est formidable de travailler avec Renno pour notre travail en Amérique du Nord. En tant que cabinet d'avocats profondément ancré dans le même espace que nous, nous sommes en mesure de collaborer fréquemment sur des problèmes et des opportunités dans ce domaine. J'ai été impressionné par la qualité de leur travail et leur réactivité.

Mario Casiraghi
SingularityNET

Je voulais travailler dans un cabinet d'avocats axé sur la technologie et basé sur une relation solide. L'équipe Renno était prête à procéder de cette façon. Pouvoir évoluer au fur et à mesure que nous grandissons a été très précieux pour nous. Peu de cabinets d'avocats peuvent se développer et continuer à être aussi réactifs.

Brad Yasar
EQIFI

To build a business, you have to act fast. Other law firms I'd spoken with would take 2-3 days to get back to us. And I had no idea what I'd get billed. The Renno team was not like this. They know how to be responsive, give me practical answers, without me worrying about some large surprise bill! They've been instrumental in helping us get setup and grow.

Konrad Baj
Done.com

Dès le début, l'équipe Renno a agi en tant que partenaire et amie de notre entreprise et nous a prodigué des conseils judicieux et opportuns. Renno & Co se concentre sur sa croissance à nos côtés. Travailler avec cette équipe est comme une bouffée d'air frais, car nous savons que nous pouvons obtenir une aide fiable quand nous en avons besoin et de la manière dont nous en avons besoin.

Alex Daskalov
kn0x.io
→

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Intellectual Property

I have an invention idea. How do I make sure it’s original?

Intellectual Property

Trademark…patent…copyright – what the heck is the difference?

FAQ

Canada
United States
1. What is a trademark?
Simply put, a trademark is a combination of letters, words, sounds or designs that help consumers distinguish one company’s goods or services from others. A trademark is an important asset for a company. Over time, it becomes a part of your company’s identity, reputation and brand. Registering your trademark means that you gain exclusive rights to use it across the country for a period of 10 years (renewable indefinitely). It also means that you can keep other companies from using an identical trademark, but also similar or potentially confusing marks. Registering a trademark helps to prevent any infringement or confusion with your trademark so that consumers will only associate your trademarks with your products and services.
2. What is the difference between trademarks, patents and copyright?
Trademarks are words, logos, sounds or designs that help consumers identify the source of a product or service. They protect the brand and reputation of the company.

Copyright provides protection for original literary, artistic, dramatic or musical works (including computer programs), under certain conditions. It grants an exclusive right to the copyright owner to control how the work is used in order to protect its value.

Patents protect new and useful inventions (product, composition, machine, process) or any new and useful improvement to an existing invention.
3. How long is the trademark registration process?
In Canada, filing a trademark registration is a fairly quick process. It will take less than a week. However, obtaining the trademark registration may take up to three years, and even more.
4. How long will my trademark be protected?
A trademark registration in Canada will last for 10 years. To maintain a trademark registration, you must pay a renewal fee every 10 years. Failing to do so will result in the expungement of your trademark from the Register of Trademarks. We will send you a notice with information about your renewal payment deadline, when the time comes. It is important to keep us informed of any change of email addresses or phone numbers during that time period.
5. Can I protect a logo and a word as trademarks?
Yes. You have many options. You can either trademark both separately, or you can even trademark them together as one trademark.

However, if you trademark both as one trademark, note that you will be limited to receiving protection only for the trademark showing both the word(s) and the logo. In other words, you will not be protected when only using the word(s) or only the logo.

If you want to be able to protect a logo and word(s) separately, in order to show just the word on its own, or just the logo on its own, it would be recommended to apply for each of these trademarks separately, which will also provide you with a broader protection.
6. Once I file my trademark application, can I amend it?
It depends on what the amendment is. For example, amending the applicant’s name where a trademark application incorrectly identifies them would generally be possible. However, modifying the description of a trademark is usually not allowed (although there are some exceptions). If you need to make any amendments to your trademark application, please reach out to us.
7. Will my trademark be protected worldwide?
Registering for a trademark in Canada with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) will only provide protection across Canada. Same goes for registering a trademark in the United States with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

If you are interested to protect your trademark in more than one country, filing it with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) could be an option. Please reach out to us for more information on that matter.
8. What are the benefits of registering a trademark?
There are plenty of benefits for registering a trademark in Canada.
  • It provides an exclusive right to use the trademark across the country. This means that no one else in Canada can use an identical, similar, or potentially confusing trademark.
  • It can not only increase the credibility and reputation of the brand, but it will also increase its value. As an example, Forbes valued the Apple brand at $205.5 billion dollars in 2020. Since its inception, Apple has registered over 1,000 trademarks! The value of trademarks can easily be quantified because they consist of intangible intellectual property assets that can be added to your company’s balance sheet.
  • It provides you with a wide protection across the whole country for 10 years, renewable indefinitely.
  • It can enhance your ability to enforce your rights. This means that it may be easier to prevent other people from using or infringing on your trademark, and also less expensive because of the evidence created by registering a trademark.
  • It is possible to benefit from the assistance of the Canadian Border Services to monitor for and detect counterfeit products at the Canadian border.
  • It could help to recover domain names and social media handles.
  • It allows to use the ® symbol in conjunction with your trademark to make it clear to everyone that the trademark is registered. This symbol is reserved to registered trademarks only, while the ™ symbol is available to anyone using a trademark, whether registered or not.
  • Bonus for Québec companies: owning a registered trademark allows to benefit from an exception to the Québec Charter of the French Language and permits the use of an English trademark in Québec without the need to translate.
9. When should I register my trademark?
Depending on the registrability of your brand and how long you have been using your trademark, it is always better to file as soon as possible.

If you are already using the trademark, it would be best to file a registration as soon as possible. Other people could easily register the same trademark if you don’t.

Of course, start-ups and small businesses don’t always have the budget to spend on a trademark registration. On the other hand, they spend a lot of money on building their brand and/or product. It would be a shame to waste this investment if the trademark were to be unavailable or if someone copied it.

This is why it is very important to conduct due diligence before registering a trademark. You can already start by searching the word(s) you intend to trademark (and similar word(s)) on search engines like Google. You can also search on the publicly available database of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.

The next step is to conduct a pre-filing search, which will analyze the risk of registering your trademark based not only on identical trademarks, but also potentially confusing or similar ones. This pre-filing search is conducted by a trademark agent and provides you with a detailed legal opinion whether it is possible or advisable to register your trademark. Pre-filing searches are not mandatory, but they could save your business a lot of money down the line. If you are interested in obtaining a pre-filing search prior to registering your trademark, let us know.

Ultimately, filing for a trademark registration is an important business decision. It is important to weigh the potential value of doing so, but also the legal risks that exist. Our team is available to help you with assess the pros and cons of registering a trademark.
10. What is the difference between the ™ symbol and the ® symbol?
The symbol ™ can be used by businesses to notice to others that they are using particular words, logos, phrases, or designs as a trademark or service mark. It is not required to have a registered trademark to use the ™ symbol and it can be used when you have applied for a trademark, but it is not registered yet.

Once a company successfully registers its trademark, it can then start using the ® symbol, which stands for “registered trademark”.

The ® symbol indicates to competitors, third-parties and consumers that such trademark is registered and the owners has the exclusive right to use it.
11. Is it more important to trademark a name or a logo first?
As a reminder, trademarks can be business names, designs, logos, sounds, or even combinations of such elements. They act as a source indicator of the goods and services offered by a company.

Each of these elements would normally constitute a separate trademark, which can raise the costs of registration significantly. For start-ups and small businesses who may only have the ressources to file for one trademark, it can be a difficult decision.

Yet, it remains a strategic business decision to take. For many companies, the first and most important indicator of the source of the services or goods will be the business name. Strategically, it may be a good decision to first ensure your business name is strongly associated with your brand. Then, once you have additional monetary resources, it is never too late to file for additional trademarks such as logos, slogans or other designs.

However, the most important question to ask yourself is whether your company’s name or your logo is the stronger indicator of the goods and services that you offer. As such, this decision can vary from one company to another and will depend on your specific situation. Our team is available to help you determine the best strategy according to your budget and your goals.
1. What is a trademark?
Simply put, a trademark is a combination of letters, words, sounds or designs that help consumers distinguish one company’s goods or services from others.

A trademark is an important asset for a company. Over time, it becomes a part of your company’s identity, reputation and brand.

Registering your trademark means that you gain exclusive rights to use it across the country for a period of 10 years (renewable indefinitely). It also means that you can keep other companies from using an identical trademark, but also similar or potentially confusing marks.

Registering a trademark helps to prevent any infringement or confusion with your trademark so that consumers will only associate your trademarks with your products and services.
2. What is the difference between trademarks, patents and copyright?
Trademarks are words, logos, sounds or designs that help consumers identify the source of a product or service. They protect the brand and reputation of the company.

Copyright provides protection for original literary, artistic, dramatic or musical works (including computer programs), under certain conditions. It grants an exclusive right to the copyright owner to control how the work is used in order to protect its value.

Patents protect new and useful inventions (product, composition, machine, process) or any new and useful improvement to an existing invention.
3. How long is the trademark registration process?
In the United States, filing a trademark registration is a fairly quick process. It will take less than a week. However, obtaining the trademark registration can take 12 to 18 months, but it can take longer, especially if an application is filed on the basis of an earlier filed Canadian trademark application.
4. How long will my trademark be protected?
In the United States, a trademark registration is valid indefinitely, as long as you timely file all required maintenance documents. You must file a "Declaration of Use" and pay a fee between the 5th and 6th year after registration. In addition, you must renew your trademark registration and pay a renewal fee every 10 years after registration. We will send you a notice with information about your renewal payment deadline, when the time comes. It is important to keep us informed of any change of email addresses or phone numbers during that time period.
5. Can I protect a logo and a word as trademarks?
Yes. You have many options. You can either trademark both separately, or you can even trademark them together as one trademark.

However, if you trademark both as one trademark, note that you will be limited to receiving protection only for the trademark showing both the word(s) and the logo. In other words, you will not be protected when only using the word(s) or only the logo.

If you want to be able to protect a logo and word(s) separately, in order to show just the word on its own, or just the logo on its own, it would be recommended to apply for each of these trademarks separately, which will also provide you with a broader protection.
6. Once I file my trademark application, can I amend it?
It depends on what the amendment is. For example, amending the applicant’s name where a trademark application incorrectly identifies them would generally be possible. However, modifying the description of a trademark is usually not allowed (although there are some exceptions). If you need to make any amendments to your trademark application, please reach out to us.
7. Will my trademark be protected worldwide?
Registering for a trademark in Canada with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) will only provide protection across Canada. Same goes for registering a trademark in the United States with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

If you are interested to protect your trademark in more than one country, filing it with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) could be an option. Please reach out to us for more information on that matter.
8. What are the benefits of registering a trademark?
There are plenty of benefits for registering a trademark in Canada.
  • It gives you the right to bring a lawsuit concerning the trademark in federal court.
  • It creates a legal presumption that you own the trademark and have the right to use it. So, in federal court, your registration certificate proves ownership, eliminating the need for copious amounts of evidence.
  • You can use your registration as a basis for filing for trademark protection in foreign countries.
  • It provides an exclusive right to use the trademark across the country. This means that no one else in the United States can use an identical, similar, or potentially confusing trademark.
  • It can not only increase the credibility and reputation of the brand, but it will also increase its value. As an example, Forbes valued the Apple brand at $205.5 billion dollars in 2020. Since its inception, Apple has registered over 1,000 trademarks! The value of trademarks can easily be quantified because they consist of intangible intellectual property assets that can be added to your company’s balance sheet.
  • It provides you with a wide protection across the whole country for 10 years, renewable indefinitely.
  • It can enhance your ability to enforce your rights. This means that it may be easier to prevent other people from using or infringing on your trademark, and also less expensive because of the evidence created by registering a trademark.
  • It is possible to benefit from the assistance of the United States Customs and Border Protection to monitor for and detect counterfeit products at the United States border.
  • It could help to recover domain names and social media handles.
  • It allows to use the ® symbol in conjunction with your trademark to make it clear to everyone that the trademark is registered. This symbol is reserved to registered trademarks only, while the ™ symbol is available to anyone using a trademark, whether registered or not.
9. When should I register my trademark?
Depending on the registrability of your brand and how long you have been using your trademark, it is always better to file as soon as possible.

If you are already using the trademark, it would be best to file a registration as soon as possible. Other people could easily register the same trademark if you don’t.

Of course, start-ups and small businesses don’t always have the budget to spend on a trademark registration. On the other hand, they spend a lot of money on building their brand and/or product. It would be a shame to waste this investment if the trademark were to be unavailable or if someone copied it.

This is why it is very important to conduct due diligence before registering a trademark. You can already start by searching the word(s) you intend to trademark (and similar word(s)) on search engines like Google. You can also search on the publicly available database of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.

The next step is to conduct a pre-filing search, which will analyze the risk of registering your trademark based not only on identical trademarks, but also potentially confusing or similar ones. This pre-filing search is conducted by a trademark agent and provides you with a detailed legal opinion whether it is possible or advisable to register your trademark. Pre-filing searches are not mandatory, but they could save your business a lot of money down the line. If you are interested in obtaining a pre-filing search prior to registering your trademark, let us know.

Ultimately, filing for a trademark registration is an important business decision. It is important to weigh the potential value of doing so, but also the legal risks that exist. Our team is available to help you with assess the pros and cons of registering a trademark.
10. What is the difference between the ™ symbol and the ® symbol?
The symbol ™ can be used by businesses to notice to others that they are using particular words, logos, phrases, or designs as a trademark or service mark. It is not required to have a registered trademark to use the ™ symbol and it can be used when you have applied for a trademark, but it is not registered yet.

Once a company successfully registers its trademark, it can then start using the ® symbol, which stands for “registered trademark”.

The ® symbol indicates to competitors, third-parties and consumers that such trademark is registered and the owners has the exclusive right to use it.
11. Is it more important to trademark a name or a logo first?
As a reminder, trademarks can be business names, designs, logos, sounds, or even combinations of such elements. They act as a source indicator of the goods and services offered by a company.

Each of these elements would normally constitute a separate trademark, which can raise the costs of registration significantly. For start-ups and small businesses who may only have the ressources to file for one trademark, it can be a difficult decision.

Yet, it remains a strategic business decision to take. For many companies, the first and most important indicator of the source of the services or goods will be the business name. Strategically, it may be a good decision to first ensure your business name is strongly associated with your brand. Then, once you have additional monetary resources, it is never too late to file for additional trademarks such as logos, slogans or other designs.

However, the most important question to ask yourself is whether your company’s name or your logo is the stronger indicator of the goods and services that you offer. As such, this decision can vary from one company to another and will depend on your specific situation. Our team is available to help you determine the best strategy according to your budget and your goals.
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