Toys 'R' Us Canada drops trademark fight with Calgary swingers club over Club R

Toys “R” Us Canada’s new owner appears to have abandoned the retailer’s fight to keep a Calgary swingers club from using the phrase “Club R.”

Trademark case closed

In filings with Canada’s intellectual property office, the toy chain’s previous owner argued that letting Club Rendezvous Inc. use “Club R” would cause confusion. Toys “R” Us has called its loyalty program R Club in some markets.

Toys “R” Us Canada had until Sept. 30 to file a statement of opposition, but the intellectual property office’s database shows Next Century — which acquired some of the retailer’s assets after it entered creditor protection — missed the deadline and did not request an extension. The trademark opposition board closed the case a month later, giving Club Rendezvous the go-ahead to use “Club R.”

Other disputes continue

The owners of the swingers organization, whom The Canadian Press agreed not to name because their families are unaware of their involvement in the business, said the dispute seemed “unusual” because the club operates in an entirely different industry from children’s toys. They said they were happy with the outcome.

Neither Next Century nor its lawyer responded to requests for comment. Next Century’s parent company, Ad Populum, also owns Party City and manages the Chia Pet brand.

Next Century plans to open the first of about 300 Toys “R” Us Canada shops within Staples Canada stores on Saturday in Richmond Hill, Ont. The company acquired the rights to the Toys “R” Us Canada name and about 150 of the retailer’s trademarks earlier this year, when the toy chain was in creditor protection.

When Toys “R” Us Canada sought creditor protection, it had already launched trademark battles with the swingers club and two other brands. The intellectual property office’s database shows Next Century is continuing with both cases: one against Russian firm Biomicrogeli over the phrase Wonderlab, and one against tech giant Acer over the use of a backwards R.

Why it matters

The closure of the Club R case allows Club Rendezvous Inc. to use the phrase, while Next Century continues pursuing two other trademark disputes it inherited from the previous owner of Toys “R” Us Canada.

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Sources

• ctvnews.ca: Toys 'R' Us gives up trademark fight with Calgary swingers club
• bnnbloomberg.ca: Toys 'R' Us gives up trademark fight with Calgary swingers club

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.