Trademark audits are a critical tool for maintaining the reliability and integrity of a nation’s trademark register. They ensure that trademarks genuinely in use are protected, while unused marks—often called "deadwood"—are cleared to make room for new applicants. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office - that is, the USPTO - has led the charge in this domain since 2017, leveraging its audit program to declutter its register and keep trademark owners accountable. Now, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, or CIPO has followed the USPTO’s example by initiating its own pilot audit program.

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Prove It or Lose It: How USPTO’s Audit Program Inspired Canada’s Trademark Oversight

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Erica R. Halstead