The Canadian Intellectual Property Office has announced that the Trade-mark Agent Qualifying Examination will be held on November 25, 2014 with a deadline for applying of September 4, 2014. This is the first examination since the exemption for lawyers was removed.

The Notice, posted by the Patent Appeal Board, notes that the examination will be based on the Trade-marks Act as of June 1, 2014, without incorporating the substantial amendments made in Bill C-31 which received Royal Assent on June 19, 2014. The coming into force of the amendments, including renaming the act to the “Trademarks Act” and removing the ‘use’ requirement, has not yet been announced.

Prior to April 1, 2014, lawyers were able to submit an affidavit confirming 24 months of trade-mark experience rather than pass the qualifying examination. This exemption was removed as part of amendments to the Trade-marks Regulations.