Partner, Trademark Agent
Johanne Auger
Contact
Montreal
25th Floor1100 René-Lévesque Blvd. West
Montreal, Quebec H3B 5C9
CANADA 514 397-8500 514 397-8515 info@bcf.ca
Quebec
Complexe Jules-Dallaire, T12828 Laurier Blvd., 12th Floor
Quebec City, Quebec G1V 0B9
CANADA 418 266-4500 418 266-4515 info@bcf.ca
Profile
As the partner in charge of BCF’s Trademark group, Johanne Auger supports businesses of all sizes in developing and supervising national and international trademark portfolios. Her global vision of issues, her excellent listening skills and her personalized approach help her develop protection strategies tailored to the realities and needs of each client, whether in Quebec, Canada or worldwide.
With more than 25 years of experience in trademark protection, intellectual property management and litigation, Johanne advises start-ups, SMEs and large companies operating in the technology, agri-food, pharmaceutical, tourism, cultural, finance, manufacturing, textiles and retail industries.
An excellent communicator eager to share her knowledge, Johanne regularly gives trademark lectures to various organizations in Europe, Asia and North and South America. She provides customized training to senior management and marketing teams from several companies. She has also been the Director of the intellectual property courses offered by McGill University and the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada and has served on the Institute’s board of directors.
Johanne has been selected and acts as the exclusive member for trademarks in Canada for the following international networks of professionals: Advisory Excellence, The Lawyers’ Network and Global Legal Alliance.
Expertise
Industries
Education
- Certification Electronic business, ICE-HEC (2001)
- Certificate in Law, Université de Montréal (1991)
- Certificate in Industrial Relations, Université de Montréal (1985)
Recognition(s)
- World Trademark Review 1000 (2022-2025) - Anti-counterfeiting and Prosecution and Strategy
- IP Star (2023-2024) - Trademark Star
Publications
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« Protecting Trademarks on Online Platforms: Walmart and Temu »
BCF, July 2024
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“Une revue de certaines décisions d'intérêt rendues en 2016 par la Commission des oppositions du Canada : leçons à tirer en quatre thèmes”
May 2017, C.P.I.
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“Marques de commerce appliquées : ou quand le personnage a voix au chapitre et réussit à faire les grands titres… quel festival !”
Développements récents en droit du divertissement – 2010, Service de la formation permanente du Barreau du Québec, 2011
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“Trucs et astuces pour une gestion efficace des marques de commerce,”
Cours de perfectionnement du notariat, Chambre des notaires du Québec, Les Éditions Yvon Blais inc., 2011
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“Les marques de commerce en langues ou caractères étrangers au Canada, à en perdre son latin!”
Développements récents en droit de la propriété intellectuelle – 2010, Service de la formation permanente du Barreau du Québec, vol. 238
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“Les lignes directrices de Santé Canada concernant les noms de produits de santé à présentation et à consonance semblables : une pilule difficile à avaler?”
May 2009, 21-2 C.P.I. 299
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“Grin and Bear It! The Proposed Health Canada Guidelines – What Impact Might They Have on Clearance?”
2006, 23 C.I.P.R. 29
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“Les marques de commerce à l’ère électronique,”
Revue Commerce, March 2003
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“2003 Recent Trade-Mark Developments”
C.I.P.R., Nov. 2004, vol. 21
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“Sections 12(2) and 14 of the Trademarks Act… or the Salvation of a Proposed Trademark!”
2002, 18 C.I.P.R. 643
Representative Work
- Establish a strategy for protecting the international trademarks of Canadian businesses exporting their products/services to various countries, including via the Web;
- Perform strategic due diligence of trademarks in various transactions to properly evaluate the branding component taking the context of the transaction into account (purchase, sale, financing, partnership);
- Determine the availability of new trademarks by adding value at the strategic level and considering the company's short- and medium-term marketing plans;
- Review and comment on the different advertising and packaging to be deployed by the company;
- Provide value-added competitive intelligence tools for the business;
- Contribute to establishing the strategy for enforcing the rights to the registered and unregistered trademarks of the company, including the domain names and social networks;
- Provide customized training for management in corporate legal and marketing services, and interactive meetings for efficient trade-mark management and related issues;
- Manage the company's trademarks in a personalized and pragmatic way by adopting a global vision and considering the company's marketing plans and the various external factors that may affect it.
Conferences
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March 2025
“IP and Business Strategy: two sides of the same coin?’’ World Intellectual Property Review, North America, Chicago
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October 2023 and October 2018
“Introduction aux marques de commerce’’ Graduate programme in innovation management, ÉTS, Montreal
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September 2023
“Trademark licensing issues’’ Round Table Moderator, World Intellectual Property Review, North America, San Diego
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March 2023
“Développements récents en matière de marques de commerce au Canada’’ and moderator of the panel of international experts, Unifab, Paris
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September 2022
“Développements récents en droit de marques de commerce : de l’appellation « fromage fermier » aux licences intercorporatives en passant par les exigences liées à l’emploi du français en matière d’étiquetage et affichage public’’, Unifab, Paris
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August 2023 and August 2022
“Considérations pratiques en marques de commerce pour les entreprises en agro-alimentaire’’ and ‘’’Développements pertinents en matière d'emballage et étiquetage’’, Association Québécoise de la Distribution de Fruits et Légumes, Quebec
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November 2021
“Considérations pratiques en marques de commerce pour les entreprises’’, ACET, Montreal
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October 2021 and April 2022
“Être un leader inspirant et authentique’’ Infopresse, Montreal
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June and October 2021
“La vérification diligente en matière de PI’’ Club M&A, Montreal
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April 2021
“Considérations pratiques en marques de commerce’’ Incubateur Mycélium, Quebec
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March 2021
“Considérations pratiques en marques de commerce’’ Incubateur Food Hub, Quebec
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February 2021
“Revue jurisprudentielle 2020 en matière de marques de commerce – Association du Barreau Canadien – division Québec’’
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November 2020
“Quand, comment et où protéger sa marque de commerce et à quels coûts ? Quel(s) symbole(s) doit-on utiliser pour le marquage des droits de propriété intellectuelle, dont les marques de commerce?’’, Match Dux, Montreal
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January 2020
“Amendements à la Loi sur les marques de commerce entrés en vigueur le 17 juin 2019’’, Unifab, Paris
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November 2018
“Marques de commerce’’, Association Québécoise de la Distribution de Fruits et Légumes, Québec
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April 2018
“AÉCG et les indications géographiques portés au menu canadien’’ Association du Barreau Canadien, Division Québec
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2017-2018
&ldquo:Various training courses on trademarks and social networks, Inno-Centre, Montréal
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2018
“Les entreprises québécoises et l’AECG : sous l’angle de la propriété intellectuelle” (FCCQ -Tournée manufacturière), Quebec city
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2018
“L’AÉCG et les indications géographiques portés au menu canadien des marques de commerce” (Canadian Association Bar), Montreal
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2013 to 2024
Numerous presentations at Entrepreneuriat Laval, Université Laval, Québec
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May 2017
“Éléments de propriété intellectuelle appliqués au numérique”, Beauce Numérique
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April 2017
“Revue jurisprudentielle: quelques décisions d’intérêt rendues en 2016 par la COMC”, Regroupement des Praticiens en Marques de commerce
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Nov. 2016
“Growing Abroad – Setting Your International Trademark Protection Strategy”, The British-Quebec Business Coalition
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Nov. 2016
“Êtes-vous prêts pour l’Europe? Comment se préparer pour profiter des accords de libre-échange”, Tournée Initiative manufacturière Investissement Québec and La Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec
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from 2013 until today
Numerous conferences at École d’Entrepreneurship de Beauce (EEB), St-Georges
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2014
“International Trade-mark Strategies : Building an Effective Global Portfolio”, Intellectual Property Russia – Driving Company Growth by Protecting and Monetising your IP, Moscow
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2013
Conference to Chambre de commerce internationale - Normandie, Caen
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2013
Various conferences to Chambre de commerce française, Quebec Chapter, Quebec city
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2013
Conference to l’Association des secrétaires et chefs de contentieux (ASCC), Montreal
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2013
“Aspects légaux du Web 2.0 : Et si le ‘Retweet’ m’était conté ou comment départager le partage”, Réseau Action TI, Quebec city
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2011
“Marques de commerce appliquées : ou quand le personnage a voix au chapitre et réussit à faire les grands titres… quel festival !”, Association des juristes pour l’avancement de la vie artistique, Montreal
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2011
“Trucs et astuces pour une gestion efficace des marques de commerce,” Cours de perfectionnement du notariat, Chambre des Notaires du Québec, Quebec city
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2011
“Développements récents en marques de commerce – Revue jurisprudentielle de l'année 2011,” Canadian Bar Association – Quebec Branch, Montreal – 7th edition of annual conference given by Johanne Auger since 2004
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2010
“Comparison of Trademark Opposition Systems,” Argentinian Association of Industrial Property Agents (AAAPI), Buenos Aires
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2010
“Trademarks Procedures in 3 Jurisdictions,” Brazilian Intellectual Property Association (ABPI), Sao Paulo
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2009
“Trucs et astuces pour une gestion efficace des marques de commerce,” Association des conseillers juridiques d'entreprise, Canadian Bar Association - Quebec Branch, Montreal
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2009
“Opposition Proceedings in The European Community, the U.S.A. and Canada: Same Melody in a Different Key,” European Community Trademark Association (ECTA), Vilnius
Professional Affiliation(s)
- Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC)
- International Trademark Association (INTA)
- European Community Trademark Association (ECTA)
- Association of European Trade Mark Owners (MARQUES
- Association des praticiens du droit des marques et des modèles (APRAM)
- Regroupement des Praticiens du droit des Marques de commerce (RPM)
Involvement
- Trademark professor, speaker and author;
- Speaker for various organizations and institutions (Centre locaux de développement (CLD), Chambers of Commerce, marketing agencies, accounting firms, various professional associations);
- Director of the Advanced Trade-marks course offered by McGill University and IPIC and Director of the entire McGill/IPIC Intellectual Property course program for many years;
- Sat on IPIC's Board of Directors for two years;
- Member of several IPIC committees for several years;
- Treasurer and member of the organizing committee of the International Forum on Intellectual Property – Quebec (FORPIQ) – for many years;
- Sat on the Board of Directors of the Association Marketing de Montréal-Publicité Club de Montréal (AMM-APCM) for many years;
- Sat on various boards of directors of not-for-profit organizations over the years.
