Bell’s Fibe trademark challenged in Federal Court

SkyChoice Communications, a provider of tv, telephone and World-wide-web products and services operating in numerous Canadian provinces, is complicated the use of the Fibe trademark by Bell Canada prior to the Federal Courtroom of Canada. The petition argues that the trademark lacks distinctiveness, with a distinction of only just one letter among Fibe and fiber, a typically made use of word.

Canadian trademark laws normally prohibit the registration of emblems that may possibly be puzzled with prevalent words this sort of as “fiber”, which is progressively utilized by telecommunications providers globally in the promotion of their Online providers. In get to assure the accomplishment of the problem, SkyChoice has retained the products and services of what it claims to be a single of the major regulation firms in the entire world.

Because optical fiber is now a important selling position when advertising quickly and trustworthy Internet services, registering the very first 4 letters of the word fiber as a trademark allegedly prevents independent World wide web Services Providers (ISPs) from applying this widespread phrase in entire or in portion in their brand name image.

“Independent ISPs currently run at a aggressive downside largely due to limited or prohibitively priced access to incumbent fiber amenities in Canada, one of the nations with the best costs for Online expert services in the world”, suggests Serge Cormier, main govt officer of SkyChoice.

In addition, a general public authorized fund has been recognized with the guidance of Liberty Fibers, an business dedicated to growing world-wide-web affordability in Canada. The group needs to increase awareness of the superior wholesale entry rates levied by incumbents to unbiased ISPs for CRTC-mandated wholesale fiber-to-the-dwelling accessibility.