The transforming power of IP in the financial services industry
As the financial services industry is increasingly revolutionized by emerging technologies, the need for strategic intellectual property protection has never been greater.
The importance of IP rights
Rapid technological changes, new business models, and battles for market share have all resulted in IP strategy, acquisition, protection and litigation playing a central role in the financial services industry. And Smart & Biggar has long been at the forefront of this field.
From representing ground breaking FinTech startups to being a valued partner for many of Canada and the world’s leading financial services companies, we provide clients with a wide range of multidisciplinary services to creatively and strategically safeguard and protect their business and their IP rights.
Our wide-ranging services extend from providing competitively sensitive IP strategic advice to deep expertise in patent protection in the FinTech space, from brand protection for financial services products to litigating complex payment services patents, from providing data privacy advice to banks and financial institutions to structuring and negotiating IP-related transactions, agreements and projects.
Technical expertise
Understanding the complex and rapidly changing technologies in the FinTech sector is vital to effective IP counsel.
We have stayed on the leading edge of developments in this important sector and, with the combined strength of our technical depth and our IP expertise, our team is able to deliver integrated, forward-thinking solutions.
Our combination of expertise and advanced technical training in relevant subspecialties enables us to offer focused protection of innovations in the financial services sector. We are leading experts in patent drafting and prosecution, litigation, acquisition and licensing of new technologies, and strategic management of IP portfolios.
Legal expertise
We are the largest firm in Canada practicing exclusively in IP law, and possess the expertise and experience to safeguard your competitive position by providing unparalleled IP counsel.
We have also been entrusted with handling Canada’s most important IP matters in this sector. We successfully handled the leading FinTech patent subject matter case by prevailing in the Federal Court of Appeal on behalf of Amazon.com in relation to its “one-click” patent. We were also counsel in the largest FinTech patent infringement case in Canadian history, and counsel in high-profile trademark litigation between two of the world’s largest banks.
Our depth of expertise is unmatched
Our strength and experience in IP matters in the financial industry is without parallel in Canada, and our financial services subject matter expertise includes:
- Cryptocurrency
- Blockchain
- Digital/virtual currency
- Payment processing systems
- E-billing and e-commerce systems
- Financial Products
- Financial software
- Mobile banking/mobile payment/mobile applications
- Trading systems
Key Contacts
Client Success
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American Express Marketing & Development Corp v Black Card
2018 FC 563Obtained a costs award, with elevated costs, further to a successful appeal defence.Read More -
American Express Marketing & Development Corp v Black Card
2018 FC 362Successfully defended the client in appeals of 10 opposition decisions where we previously established the client was permitting to register its family of BLACKCARD marks.Read More -
American Express Marketing & Development Corp v Black Card, LLC
Successfully defended a series of 10 opposition proceedings seeking to block the client’s family of BLACKCARD marks, obtaining an order that all marks were registrable.Read More -
Royal Bank of Canada v The Royal Bank of Scotland et al
Successfully represented The Royal Bank of Scotland in defending Federal Court trademark infringement litigation, resulting in discontinuance of the action. -
Intact Financial Corp v Fagan
DCA-1450-CIRASuccessfully recovered the domain name greypower.ca for the client in a CDRP domain arbitration.Read More -
Intact Financial Corporation v WhoisGuard /Yenta's Bagels
D2012-1629Successfully recovered the domain name intactinsurancetoronto.com in a UDRP domain arbitration.Read More -
Compagnie D'assurances Belair Inc v Merab
D2011-0562Successfully recovered the domain name belairdirect.org in a UDRP domain arbitration proceeding.Read More -
Datatreasury Corporation v Royal Bank of Canada
2008 FC 955
Unparalleled Expertise in Financial Services & Technology
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Lexpert®-Ranked
13 Lexpert®-ranked lawyers
2021Lexpert Special Edition: Technology -
Lexpert®-Ranked
Nine Lexpert®-ranked lawyers
2020Lexpert Special Edition: Technology
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