I’m pleased to announce that my currently unregistered trademarks (officially spelled “trade-marks”)  “PSWLaw” and “Integrated Small Business Solutions” are now in the process of being registered.

As of this morning, I have filed the applications and paid the prescribed fees for the registration of these two trademarks. The proposal for the registration will be published by the Registrar at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office under Industry Canada in its journal.

Hopefully no one will object to the registration. If so, they will be protected as registered trademarks under the Trade-Marks Act.

Currently the only persons entitled to file a trademark application on another person’s behalf are the trademark agents.

A person endeavouring to  become a registered trademark agent – and I’m considering it – must need to meet one of the following conditions:

(a) reside in Canada, have worked in Canada in the area of Canadian trade-mark law and practice for a period of at least 24 months and pass the qualifying examination relating to Canadian trade-mark law and practice; OR

(b) reside in Canada and be a lawyer entitled to practise in any province in Canada, or a notary in the province of Quebec who has:

· passed the qualifying examination relating to Canadian trade-mark law and practice; OR

· worked in the area of trade-mark law, including the preparation and prosecution of applications for registration of trade-marks, for a period of 24 months or more and who has submitted an affidavit or statutory declaration to that effect to the Registrar of Trade-marks

Since I am a lawyer entitled to practise law in Ontario, I would either have to write the qualifying exam or work in the area of trade-mark law for at least two years.

I think I’ll take the exam in 2009. I’ll let you know the good news when it comes.