Trademarks owners be warned — certain services may require bricks-and-mortar location

Stikeman Elliott LLP v Millennium & Copthorne International Limited demonstrates the challenges facing trademark owners in e-commerce when it comes to certain services (eg, hotel services), as an emerging Trademark Opposition Board trend warns that unless registrants perform their services through bricks-and-mortar establishments located in Canada, mere advertising or performance of tangentially related services (eg, reservation or event planning services) may be insufficient to maintain registrations.