Additional Search Options

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Select category of trademark

After you have entered the search text and field search criteria, you can select a category of mark in the "Category" section within the Additional search options.

You can also skip the basic or advanced search altogether and go to the "Additional search options" section of the database and select a Category from the displayed list. They are:

  • All: Searches all of the following "categories";
  • Trademarks: Includes certification mark, distinguishing guise, specific marks, standardization marks or union labels.
  • Certification marks: Searches for certification marks category
  • Distinguishing guise: Searches for distinguishing guise category
  • Geographical indications: Searches for geographical indications category
  • Plant breeders' rights denominations: Searches for denomination category
  • Prohibited/Official marks (section 9): Search will consist of official marks, prohibited marks, flags, official signs or hallmarks, armorial bearings, abbreviation of names, names, arms, crests or emblems.
  • Other marks: Searches for marks protected by federal act of incorporation or marks protected by an act An Act respecting the Royal Canadian Legion.

Please see the section "The various Categories of marks" for more details.

Select Type of trademark (General)

The "Type" section allows you to search the different types of trademarks. You may select any of these types to limit your search to only one or many types by choosing the type of mark in the "Type" section. However, to conduct a thorough search, choose "All" as your choice.

You can choose from a traditional trademark type or select a non-traditional trademark type:

All
All types of trademarks.
Word
A trademark that only consists of standard typographical characters.
Standard character
A trademark that only consists of standard typographical characters without limiting the trademark to any particular font, size or colour.
Scent
A trademark that consists in whole or in part of a scent.
Texture
A trademark that consists in whole or in part of texture.
Hologram
A trademark that consists in whole or in part of a hologram.
Taste
A trademark that consists in whole or in part of a taste.
Colour
A trademark that consists in whole or in part of a colour, without delineated contours.
Three dimensional (3D)
A trademark that consists in whole or in part of a 3-dimensional shape.
Motion (moving image)
A trademark that consists in whole or in part of a moving image.
Position
A trademark that consists in whole or in part of a positioning of a sign.
Mode of packaging
A trademark that consists in whole or in part of a mode of packaging.
Design
A trademark consisting of a word(s) and/or design(s) or a combination of both in a special form.
Sound
A trademark consisting of a sound.

Select Status Grouping of trademark

Search entries specific to current CIPO status grouped under 5 main groups, using the "Status Grouping" section. You can choose from one of the following groups or select more than one status group: "all", "all active", "pending", "registered", and "all inactive".

Note: Works best if used to refine a search and limit number of results, or for a general search, use the "All" status.

If searching Status grouping alone, the search results returned may be problematic as these can return a high volume of hits. Use "all active" to exclude abandoned and expunged marks. Use the "pending" and "registered" statuses for specific status. For inactive trademarks use the "all inactive" group. Consult the Trademark status grouping for more details.

Status (general definition): This shows the progress of processing stages of a trademark application at the Trademarks Office.

Add Vienna Code Classification

Each graphic element in a trademark design is assigned a numerical code. This standard is referred to as a "Vienna Code Classification".

The Vienna Classification codes describe figurative elements of trademark designs. From the "Additional Search Options", select the section "Vienna Classification" to search by figurative elements.

The figurative elements are grouped by category, division, section, and sometimes auxiliary. The first step is to select the category by clicking on the Category drop-down list, followed by clicking on the Division drop-down list available to that Category. Next, find at least one of the Sections applicable to that Division and if a drop-down list becomes available In the Auxiliary selection, choose the figurative element that applies to that Section.

Note: If you choose not to select a specific section or auxiliary, your search will provide results for all figurative elements under the category and division selected.

Adding one or more divisions/sections/auxiliaries

Select the figurative element that you want to specifically add in your search and click on the "Add" button. You can select and add as many divisions, sections or auxiliaries as you need. You just need to click on the button "Add" to include them on the search list.

Note: The search engine "logic" will attach the operator "OR" between each selection of division and section. When you select an auxiliary, the search engine will attach the operator "AND" between the auxiliary and the section, however the section and its auxiliary will be attached to the other selections by the operator "OR".

Removing one or more divisions/sections/auxiliaries

To remove a division/section/auxiliary combination previously selected,

click on the "X" icon next to the selection you want to remove.

Organization of Vienna codes

Vienna codes are organized into groups and subgroups by the type of design element that each group represents. They are grouped into four levels: 1. Category, 2. Division, 3. Section, 4. Auxiliary

Example: Let's say you have a trademark that consists of 3 stars:

  • Category 1: Celestial bodies, natural phenomena, geographical maps
  • Division 1.1: Stars, comets
  • Section 1.1.1: Stars
  • Auxiliary A 1.1.4: Three stars

Example: Let's say you have a trademark that consists of a hand gesture:

  • Category 2: Human beings
  • Division 2.9 : Parts of the human body…
  • Section 2.9.14: Hands, cupped hands…
  • Auxiliary A 2.9.20: Thumbs up or down

Note: The "Add" button enables you to add codes according to the particular figurative elements you wish to search by.

Select the number of results to be returned

You can limit the number of hits or results that the search will produce to the maximum indicated. By default, that maximum number of results to be returned is 500. You are able to increase this number to the maximum amount of 5,000. The results are ranked based on the hit count, which is the number of times individual query words or search criteria terms appear in the selected search field(s).

A hit count equal to the maximum number selected, means other relevant trademarks records may not have been picked up. To obtain all relevant records, you should increase the maximum limit or adjust your search criteria.

Display results

You may choose to display your search results in a list table or grid table format. By default, the results will be shown in a list. From the search results section, 2 icons are provided to modify the display format depending on the computer screen or mobile device you are using.

You may choose to limit your search results further. By default, all results will be shown. You can modify the listing, to view the results according to "All", "National" or "International" applications, if searching international trademark filings.

Select the number of results per page

By default, the Grid and List format displays 50 rows per page. This number can be decreased to 25, or increased to 100, 500 to a maximum of 1,000 rows per page.

In either view, the results are ranked based on the hit count. Hit count refers to the number of times individual words or search terms used in the criteria appear in the selected field(s). The higher the count, the more relevant the hits become, and the columns will display results based on relevancy. You can sort the search result columns list by ascending or descending order when using the up and down arrows next to the column header, such as for the application numbers, IR numbers, trademark and CIPO status columns.

Start the search

Once you have entered the search criteria, click on the "Search" button to start the search. You can conduct a new search by using the "Clear" button, which will clear the entered search criteria and reset to the default settings. If using multiple search criteria such as when performing advanced searches, you can eliminate criterion one at a time by clicking on the "Remove" link next to each criteria.

Search results page

The search results page will provide the total number of Results found. It will display a visual summary of your Search query, and provide you with a choice on how to View your results. You can view your results in a list or grid format. The search results page will consist of All, International or National filed applications, meaning if these were filed under the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement.

The option to view a list of your results, will display a table with 7 columns, that include Application number, IR number, Trademark, Type(s), CIPO status, Nice class and representation(s) if any. You will be able to sort any columns, by ascending or descending order if arrow icons appear next to the column headers. It will also contain as many rows as you selected to view per page. The Grid view will display results in a grid table showing 4 trademark records per line. Each record will contain the Trademark name, CIPO status, Application number, and Nice class. To sort this view you can Filter items using the search text field.

Export results

The results page can be exported into a.csv file. This feature will let you export all the results in the table, or grid up to a maximum of 5,000 rows of results.

To save this exported document, and to have it displayed in the best quality possible, you will need to save the.csv file on your computer and follow the instructions provided below.

  1. Click on Export results link.
  2. Save the.csv exported document unto your computer.
  3. Open a new workbook in a spreadsheet software such as Excel in order to import your saved.csv.
  4. Once it is saved, and you opened a new workbook, go to the "Data" tab of your new opened workbook, and look for a button called "Get & Transform Data" or similar.
  5. Select the file type of "From text/csv" and browse to your saved.csv file.
  6. This will open a new window called the "Import Wizard" and set the "File Origin" to "UTF 8".
  7. Set the delimiter to "comma".
  8. Click "load".

This workbook should now display the data with the accents and other special characters. Please note that the designs, graphics and videos will only appear as links; if any.

You may want to format the final workbook to display the information as you wish.

Verify results

The results of your search are displayed in a table format, and can be verified by clicking on either the application number or by clicking on the trademark name, as these will appear underlined as links do.

You can print the results page as it appears, using your browser's "Print" feature. Depending on the amount of results, you may want to use the navigational menu to click on page number or the next button.

When clicking on an application number, or a trademark name this will redirect you to that trademark's details page. You can review the details page to verify if the criteria you searched is indeed accurate on the trademark details page.

The details page contains various information, including the application number, filing date, status, action history, etc. Also available on the details page you can use links for going "Back to results" page, links to view "Previous result", "Next result", link to "Print" details page using the print icon, "Save as PDF" link, link to read all the "Third party disclaimer" and a link to visit the "Glossary of terms" offered. The particulars of the trademarks details page can also be shared with others by clicking on the "Share this page" link.

The "Back" button of your browser allows you to return to the results page and continue verifying results in the same manner. The new feature offered on the details page is the "View document" link.

View documents

Trademarks Document Retrieval Service (TDRS)

This link provides direct access to the "Trademarks Document Retrieval Services" (TDRS) online portal, where users can view and download available "Trademarks Office" and "Trademarks Opposition Board" documents. These documents are related to specific trademark applications and trademark registrations for all active and inactive marks; however, it excludes the Plant Breeders' Rights Act and non-advertised geographical indications.

As of , newly created documents immediately appear in the TDRS. However, historical data will not be available due to significant volume of documents to be synchronized. Once the synchronization is completed all the documents will be available.

Confusion

When searching for a trademark for the purposes of determining whether or not a confusing trademark exists, it is recommended that you also search for phonetic equivalents, synonyms and translations into English or French of the mark that is the subject of the search.

The basic rationale or test for determining whether there is confusion between trademarks is the following: would a prospective purchaser upon seeing one trademark applied to certain goods and/or services, and seeing another trademark on similar goods/services, reasonably assume that the goods and/or services in both cases came from the same source? If the answer is yes, confusion probably exists between the 2 trademarks.

If the mark that you are searching is comprised of several words, it may be necessary for those words to be searched separately. Refer to the Trademarks guide for further assistance.

Searching design marks is the most intricate form of trademark searching. Searching design marks may be done using the Vienna classification system. The information contained in the "trademark" and "trademark description" fields can be used to locate trademarks either consisting of or including design features. This may affect the results of keyword searches.

You can also try to use any other available information on the trademark (owner's name, goods and/or services covered, registration number) to locate it. It is recommended that you consult an experienced trademark searcher if a thorough search is required. Consequently, particular vigilance is required in this regard.