Content area
Full Text
The functionality doctrine stands for the proposition that wares which possess a functional use or characteristic cannot be the subject of a valid trade-mark registration. The goal of this paper is to test and stretch the bounds of the doctrine specifically as it applies to the ubiquitous Lego brick (the upper surface of the Lego brick in particular). More to the point, I aim to show that the Canadian Courts have, respectfully, mis-applied the functionality doctrine in Kirkbi AG v. Ritvik Holdings Inc., [2005] 3 S.C.R. 302, 2005 SCC 65 in denying common law trademark rights to the upper surface of the Lego brick.
La doctrine de fonctionnalité stipule que les produits qui possèdent une utilité ou caractèristique fonctionnelle ne peuvent servir de fondement à l'enregistrement valide d'une marque de commerce. L'objectif de cet article est de tester el developer les bornes de la doctrine, comme elle s'applique à la brique LEGO (en particulier, la face supérieure de la brique LEGO). Spécifiquement, je vise de démontrer que les Cours Canadiennes, avec respect, ont appliqué incorrectement la doctrine de fonctionnalité dans Kirkbi AG v. Ritvik Holdings Inc., [2005] 3 S.C.R. 302, 2005 SCC 65 en refusant la protection légale des droits "common law" de marques de commerce à la face supérieure de la brique LEGO.
1. INTRODUCTION
Canadian Courts have consistently held that "|t]he law appears to be well settled that if what is sought to be registered as a trade mark has a functional use or characteristic, it cannot be the subject of a trade mark".1 And although there is some statutory footing for the functionality doctrine (as will be discussed later in Chapter 2), the claim can reasonably be made that this 'well settled' doctrine has been created and developed overwhelmingly through the Courts, not the Legislature.
The goal of this paper is to test and stretch the bounds of the doctrine specifically as it applies to the ubiquitous Lego brick (the upper surface of the Lego brick in particular2). More to the point, I aim to show that Canadian Courts have mis-applied the functionality doctrine in Kirkbi AG v. Ritvik Holdings Inc. / Gestions Ritvik Inc.3 in denying common law trade-mark rights to the upper surface of the Lego brick. Indeed,...