Shift Law

We are thrilled to announce that our lawyers, Bushra Amir Ali and Rebecca Kupfer, have passed the Trademark Agent Examination and have joined the ranks of Canada’s registered trademark agents!

Bushra and Rebecca play key roles in Shift Law's trademark prosecution and opposition practice. They assist clients of all sizes in a wide variety of industries with trademark matters. Their new status is a testament to their expertise and will broaden the services they’re able to provide our clients, including appearing before the Trademarks Opposition Board.

Congratulations, Bushra and Rebecca!

As more businesses use AI tools, the prompts they create are becoming important intellectual property. Many teams do not realize these prompts may be protected under trade secret or copyright law.

Our newest Insight looks at what businesses should keep in mind when developing and using AI prompts.

Intellectual property protection for AI prompts | Shift Law As businesses increasingly use artificial intelligence (“AI”) in their internal operations and product offerings, they are relying more on carefully engineered instructions or “prompts” to improve the AI’s performance and output. These prompts can constitute valuable intellectual property ...

The Federal Court has clarified that to oppose a trademark under the Bojangles test, use alone isn’t enough—opponents must show a reputation strong enough to negate distinctiveness. Shift Law successfully represented the applicant in this important decision.

Federal Court clarifies the evidentiary burden to satisfy the Bojangles test in trademark oppositions | Shift Law In 2718971 Ontario Inc. v. Kinde Company Ltd., 2025 FC 1114, the Federal Court considered an appeal from a decision of the Trademarks Opposition Board (the “TMOB”) where the opponent’s primary ground of opposition was that the distinctiveness of the applicant’s trademark had been negated by ...

Hudson’s Bay Company is handing over BAY DAYS along with its iconic stripes and coat of arms, to Canadian Tire. Will we soon be paying for BAY DAYS promotions with our Canadian Tire money? In Canada, trademark law follows the “use it or lose it” principle. Our latest article looks at what this means for the future of HBC’s most iconic brand assets.

BAY DAYS Coming Soon to Canadian Tire? | Shift Law In a much anticipated $30M deal, the coveted brand assets of Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) are set to find a new home with another Canadian iconic retailer, Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC). The HBC coat of arms and legendary Stripes, along with BAY DAYS and other assets, will now join Canadian Tire.....

US Copyright Office clears creations with input from artificial intelligence

US Copyright Office clears creations with input from artificial intelligence If a human modifies AI-generated output, the resulting work can be protected