Maksym Stepanenko
Managing Partner, Crystal Tax
International client projects since 2012: company structures, tax, immigration, DUNS and NCAGE. 50+ jurisdictions.
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Trademark registration in Canada, turnkey: we check your mark, draft the list of goods and services in Nice classes and take the CIPO application through to registration via a licensed Canadian trademark agent.
Since 2012 · 50+ jurisdictions · direct CIPO filing or the Madrid System · trademark and Canadian company in one team
In brief
- Trademark registration in Canada means entering your mark on the Register of Trademarks kept by CIPO (Canadian Intellectual Property Office); registration gives an exclusive right to the mark across Canada for the listed goods and services.
- You can file directly with CIPO or through the Madrid System by designating Canada in an international application: Canada has been party to the Madrid Protocol and the Nice Agreement since 17 June 2019.
- We handle Canadian trademark registration turnkey: searches of the CIPO database and trade names, the goods and services list, filing and examiner report responses through licensed partner trademark agents in Canada, oppositions, renewal and monitoring.
- Registration lasts 10 years from the registration date and is renewable for further 10-year terms; use of the mark before registration is not required, but three years after registration it can be expunged for non-use in Canada.
- Usually, in our experience, the search and filing take 1–2 weeks; the CIPO target for a first examination decision is 14 months from filing, a service target without a guarantee, followed by advertisement and a two-month opposition period. The timeline depends on the case, its details, the authorities and force majeure.
Your situation
Pick the situation closest to yours: a short note on the route and the first step.
We are bringing our brand to Canada: retail, own site, Amazon.ca
We check whether the mark is available in Canada, draft the goods list around your actual range and file with CIPO. Amazon Brand Registry works with registered or pending marks; we check the requirements for the specific store in Seller Central, so the Canadian application goes in before sales start.
Example. A homeware manufacturer from Lviv filed a CIPO application in two classes before launching on Amazon.ca, preparing the listings in parallel.
Discuss this case →We already have a mark in Ukraine, the EU or the US and need Canada
We compare two routes: designating Canada in an international application under the Madrid System, or a national application with CIPO. If a national application abroad was filed less than six months ago, we claim Convention priority, and the first filing date counts as the filing date in Canada.
Example. The owner of an EU trademark for cosmetics extended protection to Canada through the Madrid System, and the response to CIPO's provisional refusal was filed through a partner Canadian agent.
Discuss this case →We incorporated in Canada and need to protect the name
Incorporation secures the corporate name in the corporate registry, while the right to the brand comes from trademark registration with CIPO. We check the name as a mark and file for the goods and services under which the company reaches its customers.
Example. The founders of an IT service incorporated in Ontario and then filed for a word mark and a logo in software and services classes.
Discuss this case →We received a CIPO examiner's report with objections
We analyse the objections: confusion with another mark, descriptiveness, an overly general goods list. A licensed partner trademark agent in Canada prepares and files the response; we control the strategy and deadlines.
Example. An examiner found the name of a coffee brand descriptive; after the goods list was clarified and distinctiveness arguments were filed, the application was approved for advertisement.
Discuss this case →Someone filed an opposition against our application
We assess the opponent's grounds and your chances and propose options: narrow the goods list, agree coexistence of the marks, or defend before the Trademarks Opposition Board. The partner agent runs the proceeding; we handle communication with you and budget decisions.
Example. The owner of a similar footwear mark opposed an application for a clothing brand; after the goods list was narrowed, the parties signed a coexistence agreement.
Discuss this case →We need a mark for Canada and the US together
One team handles both countries: a shared search, an aligned goods list and a choice between two national applications and the Madrid System. Details for the US are on the US trademark registration page.
Example. A sports nutrition brand filed national applications with CIPO and the USPTO a few days apart and claimed priority from the first one.
Discuss this case →What turnkey trademark registration in Canada includes
Turnkey trademark registration in Canada covers the whole path from checking the mark to the registration certificate and ongoing monitoring. By law an owner may file a CIPO application on their own, and only a licensed trademark agent, or a lawyer within the scope of their practice, may represent another person before the office. We work through licensed partner trademark agents in Canada; for the client it is turnkey, and responsibility to the client is ours.
Search and strategy
- Preliminary search of the Canadian Trademarks Database: identical and similar marks, including French-language ones.
- Trade name check: in Canada trade names are registered by the provinces, there is no single register, and their owners can file oppositions.
- Registrability assessment: descriptiveness, geographic names, surnames, official marks.
- Choice of what to protect: a word mark in standard characters, a logo or a combination.
- Choice of route: direct CIPO filing, the Madrid System, or a combination with other countries.
Goods and services list
- Wording in specific and ordinary commercial terms, as the law requires, based on the CIPO Goods and Services Manual.
- Grouping by Nice classes with your plans for the coming years in mind: the list cannot be broadened after filing.
- Balance between breadth of protection and the risk of examiner objections.
Filing and examination
- Preparation and filing of the application through the partner agent, with a Convention priority claim if available.
- Tracking of deadlines and application status.
- Responses to examiner's reports and to provisional refusals of Madrid applications.
- Correspondence with CIPO in English or French, with explanations for you in English, Ukrainian or Russian.
Advertisement, opposition, registration
- Tracking advertisement in the Trademarks Journal and the two-month opposition period.
- Defending the application in an opposition, or opposing someone else's application.
- Obtaining the registration certificate.
After registration
- Watching for new applications similar to your mark.
- Preparing evidence of use in case of a section 45 notice.
- Assignments, licence agreements, renewal after 10 years.
- Link to the business: company registration in Canada, contracts, taxes and reporting.
When to file
The best time is before your public launch in Canada: before first sales, advertising and marketplace listings. The filing date decides who gets the mark when two applicants claim similar marks. If you already sell, the application is still worth filing: a registered mark gives an exclusive right across Canada, while protecting an unregistered mark means proving reputation and use in every dispute.
For marketplace sales the mark also matters in practice: Amazon Brand Registry works with registered and pending marks, and we check the exact requirements for the specific store in Seller Central at the time of filing.
Trademark registration in Canada: timeline
Usually, in our experience, the search, goods list and filing take 1–2 weeks from signing the contract, while examination and registration in Canada take a long time and depend on CIPO. The timeline depends on the case, its details, the authorities and force majeure.
- Search and strategy — a few working days after we receive the mark and the description of goods.
- Filing — under CIPO service targets for the 2026–2027 fiscal year, a filing date for an online application is assigned within 5 working days.
- First examination decision — the CIPO target, a benchmark of the office without a guarantee, is 14 months from filing for national applications and 14 months from the notification of territorial extension for Madrid applications.
- Response to the examiner — under CIPO practice the response period is six months from the date of the report; extensions are generally granted only in exceptional circumstances.
- Advertisement and opposition — after approval the application is advertised in the Trademarks Journal, and for two months any person can file an opposition.
- Registration — if there is no opposition, or it is decided in the applicant's favour, CIPO registers the mark and issues the certificate.
Usually, in our experience, the path from filing to registration in Canada takes more than a year even without objections. An examiner's report adds time for the response, and an opposition adds several more stages with evidence and written arguments from both sides. The timeline depends on the case, its details, the authorities and force majeure.
If an opposition is filed
An opposition before the Trademarks Opposition Board runs in stages with set deadlines: the applicant files a counter statement, then the opponent files evidence within four months, the applicant files its evidence within another four months, and after that the parties exchange written arguments, two months each. Cross-examination and an oral hearing are possible, and the decision can be appealed to the Federal Court. An opposition therefore adds noticeable time to registration, and in parallel we assess whether a settlement with the opponent is possible.
For Madrid applications CIPO has a hard deadline: a provisional refusal must be sent within 18 months after the notification of territorial extension to Canada.
Priority is easier to protect in advance: the filing date in Canada decides a conflict between two similar applications, so we file before the public brand launch whenever possible.
Trademark registration cost in Canada
We calculate the cost of trademark registration in Canada individually: it depends on the number of classes, the depth of the search and how examination goes.
- How many Nice classes and how broad the list of goods and services is.
- Depth of the search: the CIPO register only, or trade names and the market as well.
- Type of mark: word, logo, combined, non-traditional.
- Route: direct CIPO filing or the Madrid System, priority claim.
- Examiner's reports and provisional refusals: their number and complexity.
- Opposition: defending your application or opposing someone else's.
- Urgency and several countries at once, for example Canada and the US.
CIPO government fees are paid separately at the official rates; the 2026 amounts are listed in the reference section below. Describe your mark and goods in a few sentences, and we will estimate the work within a working day. For a detailed review of your strategy, a 30-minute consultation is available for 100 euros.
Why clients trust us with trademark registration in Canada
Five reasons brand owners register their trademark in Canada with us.
In business since 2012
We work in 50+ jurisdictions; we know the requirements of CIPO, registrars and banks from our own cases, including the rules in force in Canada since the reform of 17 June 2019.
We deal with CIPO and agents
The application and CIPO correspondence are handled by licensed partner trademark agents in Canada; coordination and responsibility to you are ours. We need the mark, details of the goods and decisions from you.
We see the case through
If CIPO sends an examiner's report or a request, we work through it with no extra charge for our support.
One team for brand and business
Trademark, Canadian company, contracts, taxes and reporting, including Ukrainian CFC (controlled foreign company) reports, with no need to find separate contractors.
Contract and confidentiality
We work under a contract with confidentiality terms written into it.
How to register a trademark in Canada: our process
To register a trademark in Canada we go through six steps, and at each one you know what we need from you.
- Mark and goals. You send the mark, a description of goods and your markets, and we propose a route: direct CIPO filing or the Madrid System.
- Search. We check the CIPO register and trade names and assess risks and registrability.
- Goods list and contract. We draft the goods and services list in Nice classes and sign the contract and the authorisation to appoint the partner agent.
- CIPO filing. The partner agent files the application, and we pass on the application number and filing date.
- Examination. We track the status, prepare responses to examiner's reports and monitor advertisement and the opposition period.
- Registration and monitoring. We obtain the certificate and set up monitoring and a calendar for renewal and evidence of use.
Documents for Canadian trademark registration
For trademark registration in Canada you need applicant details, an image of the mark and a list of goods and services; the exact list depends on the filing route.
About the applicant
- For a company: exact name, country of incorporation and address; for an individual: name and address.
- The applicant can be an individual, a company, a partnership or several persons jointly.
- Authorisation to appoint the partner Canadian trademark agent.
About the mark
- The word mark or a high-quality logo image.
- If colour is claimed, a description of it: a registered mark has to be used in the form in which it was filed.
- Translation or transliteration if the mark contains words in a language other than English or French.
About goods and services
- What you sell or plan to sell in Canada over the coming years.
- Website, catalogue, packaging, so that the goods can be described precisely.
For priority and the Madrid System
- Number and date of the first application in another country, if less than six months have passed since it.
- International registration number, if Canada is designated through the Madrid System.
What you receive
- Search report with a risk assessment.
- Copy of the application, its number and filing date.
- Copies of CIPO correspondence and our responses with explanations.
- Registration certificate and a calendar for renewal and use monitoring.
Reference: direct CIPO filing or the Madrid System
A direct CIPO filing and a designation of Canada in an international application under the Madrid System lead to the same Canadian registration, but differ in basis, timelines and flexibility.
| Criterion | National CIPO application | Madrid System designating Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Base application or registration needed | No | Yes, at the office of origin |
| Where it is filed | Directly with CIPO | Through the office of origin to the WIPO International Bureau |
| Fees | To CIPO in Canadian dollars | To WIPO in Swiss francs, including the individual fee for Canada |
| Examination | Under Canadian law | Also under Canadian law, the application is treated as national |
| CIPO timelines | Target for first decision: 14 months from filing | Target for first decision: 14 months from notification of Canada; provisional refusal no later than 18 months after that notification |
| Dependence on the base mark | None | Five years from the international registration date |
| Renewal | With CIPO every 10 years | Through WIPO together with the international registration |
| Convenient when | Canada is the main market or you need a list tailored to Canada | The mark is already protected at home and you need many countries at once |
A response to a provisional refusal of a Madrid application is filed directly with CIPO, as for a national one. CIPO corresponds with the applicant or with an appointed Canadian trademark agent with an address in Canada, so we prepare examination responses through the partner agent.
Reference: CIPO government fees for 2026
CIPO fees are shown in Canadian dollars as published on the office's official page; our services are paid separately.
| Action | 2026 fee, CAD |
|---|---|
| Online application, first class | 491.06 |
| Application, each additional class | 149.04 |
| Application filed by other means, first class | 640.10 |
| Online renewal, first class | 595.06 |
| Renewal, each additional class | 185.49 |
| Filing a statement of opposition | 1,115.08 |
| Request for a section 45 notice on evidence of use | 595.06 |
| Extension of time under section 47 | 150.00 |
From 1 January 2027 some fees rise by 1.7 percent: the online application for the first class will be 499.41 and each additional class 151.57. The amount depends on the date CIPO receives payment. There is no separate registration fee for applications filed on or after 17 June 2019. For Madrid applications fees are paid to WIPO, including the individual fee for Canada.
Reference: why CIPO refuses registration
A CIPO examiner checks each application against the trademark database and the grounds in the Trademarks Act; most objections are predictable, and we account for them at the search stage.
| Ground | What it means | How we reduce the risk |
|---|---|---|
| Confusion | The mark resembles a registered or earlier-filed mark for similar goods or services | Search of the CIPO database, including French variants, adjustment of the goods list, consent of the earlier mark's owner |
| Clearly descriptive | The mark directly describes the character or quality of the goods in English or French | A more distinctive mark, a logo, evidence of distinctiveness |
| Deceptively misdescriptive | The mark misleads about the characteristics of the goods | Checking the mark against the actual product |
| Place of origin | The mark describes the geographic place the goods or services come from | Assessing how a Canadian consumer will perceive the mark |
| Name or surname | The mark consists only of a name or surname | Adding distinctive elements or evidence of recognition |
| Name of the goods in any language | The word means the product itself, for example in Italian or Ukrainian | Linguistic check of the mark before filing |
| Official marks and portraits | The mark resembles an official mark or contains the portrait or signature of a living person or of someone who died within the last 30 years | Checking official mark lists, consents |
| Unclear goods list | Goods are described too generally, without specific commercial terms | A list based on the CIPO Goods and Services Manual |
If the examiner disagrees with the response, CIPO issues a refusal with reasons, which can be appealed to the Federal Court of Canada. In our experience, objections are most often resolved by clarifying the goods list or by the agent's arguments at the examination response stage.
Reference: key rules of Canadian trademark law
Trademark registration in Canada is governed by the Trademarks Act and the Trademarks Regulations; the key rules have applied since the reform of 17 June 2019.
- Term — 10 years from the registration date, then renewal for 10 years on payment of the fee.
- Use — you can apply for a mark that is used or proposed to be used in Canada; a declaration of use before registration is no longer required.
- Non-use — three years after registration CIPO, at the request of any person or on its own initiative, may require evidence of use in the preceding three years; the owner has three months to respond, otherwise the registration may be expunged.
- Nice classes — goods and services are grouped by Nice classification classes; since 1 January 2026 the NCL 13-2026 version applies.
- Priority — an application in Canada can claim priority from a first application in a Paris Union country within six months.
- Bad faith — filing an application in bad faith is a ground of opposition and of invalidity of a registration.
- Opposition — within two months after advertisement in the Trademarks Journal; since 1 April 2025 the Trademarks Opposition Board may award costs, including where an application is refused for bad faith.
- Representation — a licensed trademark agent, or a lawyer within the scope of their practice, may represent another person before the office; trademark agent licences are issued by the College of Patent Agents and Trademark Agents (CPATA).
A corporate name in the corporate registry and a trademark are different rights. According to CIPO guidance, a trade name can be registered as a trademark only if it is used to identify goods or services. A business in Canada usually needs both steps, and the structure as a whole benefits from legal support for international business.
How to start
Send us the mark and describe your goods and markets in a few sentences. We reply within a working day, and on a free 10-minute call we tell you which route to trademark registration in Canada suits you.
Other services
Sources
CIPO — Fees for trademarks; CIPO — Trademarks guide; CIPO — International trademarks under the Madrid Protocol; CIPO — Performance targets 2026–2027; CIPO — Extensions of time in examination (practice notice); Justice Laws — Trademarks Act; Justice Laws — Trademarks Regulations SOR/2018-227; Justice Laws — College of Patent Agents and Trademark Agents Act, ss. 30 and 71; WIPO Lex — treaties in force for Canada; WIPO — Nice Classification, NCL 13-2026. Checked: 27.09.2026.
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Frequently asked questions
How long does trademark registration in Canada take?
Can I register a trademark in Canada without an agent?
Does a foreign applicant need a Canadian address?
What are the CIPO fees in 2026?
Which is better: the Madrid System or a direct CIPO filing?
Do I have to use the mark before registration in Canada?
What happens if I do not use a registered mark?
How long is a Canadian trademark registration valid?
Does registering a company protect its name as a brand?
Do you guarantee trademark registration?
Can I claim priority from a Ukrainian or US application?
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