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First-to-file under the Trademarks Act
Canada moved to first-to-file in June 2019. Use of an unregistered mark is no longer the basis it once was. Filing at CIPO early is now the primary way to establish priority.
CanadaRegister your trademark in Canada, with confidence.
Let our experienced attorneys take care of everything. They check your name, prepare the application and file it with the CIPO.
Starting from $250 attorney fee + government filing fee.
Trusted by founders and brands worldwide
Brands that trust GTC across IP, contracts, and counsel.
Your attorney runs the check, the drafting and every letter from the CIPO with you, from the first search to the certificate.
10+ years
Top IP Consultancy for E-Commerce, IIPLA 2026Upwork · Top Rated Plus
Brands we've protected
How it works
Four steps to a Canada registration.
Each step shows how long the CIPO usually takes and which payment it belongs to.
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1Within 24 to 48 hours
Free lawyer's check
We search the CIPO's register. An attorney tells you plainly whether the name is clear to file.
Free, no card -
2Week 1
Drafting and filing
We draft your goods and services, classify them under Nice and file with the CIPO.
Payment 1, at filing -
3After filing
Examination and publication
The CIPO examines your mark and publishes it for the opposition window, watched by us.
Included -
4On acceptance
Registration certificate
With no opposition, your Canada trademark registers and the certificate issues. Ten years, renewable.
Included
What it costs
One flat attorney fee, every CIPO fee shown up front.
Our fee in USD. The CIPO fees at cost, in CAD, plus a 5% bank fee. One bill, when we file.
Your Canada filing
Professional fee in USD. The CIPO fee at cost, in its own currency. Bank fee (5%) on government fees.
Classes
1
Paid before we file
$616.71for 1 class, before we file
Professional fee$250 first class, $140 each extra class$250
CIPO fee$491.06 first class, then $149.04 each additional class · Government fee page$349.25 ($491.06)
Bank fee (5%)$17.46
Nothing more. The CIPO fee above covers registration. Renewal is due in 10 years.
Included in the attorney fee
- A CIPO and common-law clearance search, with an agent's read on your odds
- Goods and services drafted and classified under Nice (mandatory in Canada)
- Your application filed directly with CIPO by a Canadian trademark agent
- Bilingual English and French distinctiveness checked before filing
- The two-month opposition window watched
- One year of post-registration aftercare, included
Not included, always quoted before any work
- –Replies to a substantive refusal (distinctiveness, conflict, public-order grounds)
- –Defending or filing an opposition
- –Extra classes and other countries
- –Renewal in year 10
A class is one category of goods or services. Find your classes with Class Assist.
Add the Comprehensive Trademark Search and, if the office refuses your mark for a conflict we missed, the refile is on us. Read the terms →Outside Canada? Your GTC attorney handles every requirement of the CIPO for you, included in the flat fee.
How long
From the free check to your Canada certificate.
Most Canada trademarks move on the CIPO's standard timeline. Here is what to expect.
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Within 24 to 48 hours
Free lawyer's check
We search the CIPO's register. An attorney tells you plainly whether the name is clear to file.
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Week 1
Drafting and filing
We draft your goods and services, classify them under Nice and file with the CIPO.
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After filing
Examination and publication
The CIPO examines your mark and publishes it for the opposition window, watched by us.
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On acceptance
Registration certificate
With no opposition, your Canada trademark registers and the certificate issues. Ten years, renewable.
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Every 10 years
Renewal tracked
We diary the renewal deadline and remind you a year ahead, so your protection never lapses.
Filing in Canada
Why filing in Canada is different.
The rules that change how we search, draft and file for you. We handle every one of them.
2
Per-class fees changed the cost math
Since 2019, CIPO charges per Nice class (CAD 491.06 for the first class and CAD 149.04 per additional class on online filings). Over-classification is now expensive. Careful Nice drafting saves real money.
3
Bilingual examination, English and French
CIPO examines marks in both English and French. A mark that is distinctive in one official language but descriptive in the other is vulnerable. Counsel screens both before you file.
4
Border enforcement requires registration
A registered Canadian trade mark is the basis for the Request for Assistance (RFA) regime under the Combating Counterfeit Products Act, letting the CBSA detain counterfeits at every Canadian port and crossing.
Your attorney runs the check, the drafting and every letter from the CIPO with you, from the first search to the certificate and the renewal ten years on.
Get started
Start with a free trademark search.
An attorney checks your name, then sends your filing quote. About 3 minutes.
Your Customer Success Team
A dedicated team that owns your matter from start to finish.
Every GTC client gets a dedicated Account Manager and a Senior Account Manager who learn your business and stay with you from first email to final filing. They are named people who pick up the phone and already know your matter, so every step moves forward without delay.
Your Account Manager
Your day-to-day point of contact, who coordinates every matter, keeps things moving, and already knows your file. They have your full history, so you start every conversation where the last one left off.
Your Senior Account Manager
Senior oversight on strategy and escalations, stepping in as your needs grow, so every important detail stays on track.
A named person, on email or a call, at every step.
After you submit
What you receive, and when.
No chasing. Each step lands in your portal and your inbox, with the next step and its date.
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Within 24 to 48 hours
Your result and a fixed quote
Your attorney's read on the name, the classes we suggest, and a quote with every CIPO fee on it. Nothing to pay yet.
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When you say go
Filing details and power of attorney
You add the owner details in your portal. We prepare the power of attorney and tell you exactly how to sign and return it.
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At filing
Filing receipt
We file and send you the CIPO's receipt with your application number. Payment 1 is invoiced now.
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During examination
Every letter, explained
Anything the CIPO sends comes to you in plain English with our recommended reply, before any deadline.
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On approval
Certificate in your portal
We upload your certificate. Your renewal date is diaried.
Before you file
Why Canada applications get refused, and how the free check helps.
Confusing with a registered or applied-for mark (§12(1)(d) Trademarks Act)
about 32%An earlier identical or similar Canadian mark covers overlapping goods or services. A pre-filing CIPO + common-law clearance search catches this before you spend CAD 491.06.
Primarily descriptive or deceptively misdescriptive (§12(1)(b))
about 24%The mark describes a character, quality, or place of origin of the goods/services in English or French. Counsel argues distinctiveness or refines the specification.
Name or surname (§12(1)(a))
about 16%Marks primarily merely the name or surname of an individual are barred unless acquired distinctiveness can be shown.
Prohibited marks (§9), official marks, government symbols, geographical indications
about 10%Includes Royal arms, Olympic marks, government insignia, and protected GIs. We screen for these at intake.
In their words
Rajat has expertly guided me through the process of registering my company in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and more. Currently, he is safeguarding my business interests on a global scale. His dedication and expertise are unmatched.
Darius Tay, Indonesia
ExcellentTrustpilot10+
Years since 2016
Canada trademark questions, answered straight
What founders ask before filing in Canada
CIPO does not require an agent, but applicants outside Canada often use one so nothing is missed. GTC files your Canadian application and handles every CIPO letter on your behalf.
Our attorney fee is $250 for the first class and $140 for each additional class. CIPO government fees and the processing fee are shown separately in your estimate. Your written quote confirms the total before you accept and pay.
Currently 24-36 months on average. CIPO's examination backlog has lengthened since the 2019 amendments. Examination is the slow step; once approved for publication, the opposition window is 2 months and registration follows shortly after.
No. Canada is a separate jurisdiction; a US registration grants no rights north of the border. We commonly file Canada in parallel with US for businesses with North American customers.
Yes. Since the 2019 amendments, Canada no longer requires a 'declaration of use' before registration. The mark must, however, be put to use within 3 years of registration or it becomes vulnerable to expungement for non-use under §45.
CIPO examiners assess marks for descriptiveness, clearly descriptive use, and confusion in both English and French. A mark that's distinctive in English but descriptive in French (or vice versa) will face a §12(1)(b) refusal. Bilingual screening is part of clearance.
CIPO + Canadian common-law clearance search (English and French), Nice classification, drafting your goods/services, preparing and filing the application, monitoring the 2-month opposition window, and responding to standard non-substantive examiner reports. Substantive §12 refusals and opposition defence are quoted upfront before any work begins.
Yes. GTC files for applicants anywhere and handles all CIPO correspondence for you. CIPO does not require an agent, but many applicants outside Canada use one.
Free guides
Read before you file
Canada filing guide
Timeline, fees, and who can file, in one page.
Filing from outside Canada
What foreign applicants need in place before the application goes in.
How to register a trademark in Canada
The full process from search to certificate, step by step.
Find your classes
Describe what you sell and Class Assist maps it to the right Nice classes.
Protect your brand in Canada
Start with a free Canada lawyer's check.
A Canadian-experienced attorney reviews your brand, checks the CIPO's register for conflicts, and maps your fastest route to a registered Canada trademark. No payment, no obligation.
More Canada trademark services
More markets
Also protect your brand beyond Canada.
The same team files your trademark worldwide on one account. File directly in another market:
United States
European Union
United Kingdom
China
India
Australia
Japan
Germany
France
South Korea
Spain
Italy
Brazil
Mexico
UAE
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Hong Kong
TaiwanFiling in several at once? One Madrid application reaches 130+ territories
Attorney advertising. The information on this page is for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Use of this site does not create an attorney–client relationship. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
- * Agent representation.
- Every Canada trademark application filed through GTC is prepared and filed by our team, and every CIPO letter comes to us and then to you. CIPO does not require applicants to use an agent.
- † CIPO filing fees.
- CIPO charges CAD 491.06 for the first class on online applications and CAD 149.04 per additional class, paid directly to CIPO. Government fees are subject to scheduled adjustments by CIPO and are passed through at cost. Government fees are non-refundable, even if your application is refused.
- § Procedural examiner reports.
- Standard non-substantive examiner reports (clarifications, classification fixes, formalities) are included. Substantive refusals under §§ 9 or 12 of the Trademarks Act, and opposition defence, are quoted upfront before any work begins.
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