How Much To Register Company Name And Trademark In Canada?

By Author: Stephan Bell
Total Articles: 10
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Unlike trademark registration application, the law provides that you register your company name before you can start doing business in Canada. Of course, this is assuming that you already know what line of business you are going to be in. Your business could be in the form of sole proprietorship, cooperative, partnership or corporation. Registering a business name is quite a ministerial process. There are only a handful of reasons why the name will be rejected such as when the name is already taken by somebody else.

How to register

You can download the form from the corporate registry online. There’s not much difference in the process of registration from city to city. For example, in Alberta you don’t have to fill out a form when you register your name. All the details will be encoded directly into what is known as the corporate registry computer system. In Ontario, you will have to fill out a form when you register your company name, which will list down the company name and address, a brief description of the nature of the business as well as the owner’s name and address.

In Quebec, the business ...
... name application is very easy. You just submit a declaration of registration from before the Registraire des entreprises (REQ) in Montréal or Québec City. The forms are available in French and English.

How much does it cost?

The fee is very affordable when you register your company name as you will only fork over $40-80 or so. In British Colombia, once your business name is approved, you have to register your business within two months. If you fail to do so, you will have to repeat the whole process again because the right to your business name has already lapsed. This process is similar to what they are doing in Alberta. For Ontario, it’s necessary for you to have a license which will hinge on the form of business you are starting. Other requirements include insurance for workers compensation or harmonized sales tax. Your company name should be renewed every five years.

Trademark registration

The Trade mark application is pretty straightforward. The applicant should go to the Trademarks Office and file an application. He can also file an application online through the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. There are several application forms so make sure you fill out all the necessary blank marks. The applicant can apply for use or “making-known in Canada, foreign use and application/registration, proposed in Canada, or any combination.” You pay $250-300 along with your application form. Once your trademark application is approved, you will pay another $200 so you can secure your certificate of registration. But these are the minimum amount that you can spend, there are other fees associated with the application.

Author has specialization in intellectual property law and legal services including services to register company name. In this write up he provides guideline on filing Trademark registration application and protecting your business.