45.2. Types of copies requested

The two types of copies provided by the Office are certified copies and ordinary photocopies.

2.1 Certified Copies

A certified copy is a copy of a document, or a copy of an extract from a document, held in the Trade Marks Office (including the Register) that is certified by the Registrar to be a true copy or extract.  It is admissible in any proceedings as if it were the original (sections 210 and 211).

The Registrar may also certify his or her own statements on other matters, such as when something required or prohibited by the Act was done or not done, or the period when a document was Available for Public Inspection (API).  Certification of the statement is prima facie evidence of the matters so stated (subsection 211(1)).

2.2 Photocopies

These are copies of documents described in section 2.1, but are not certified by the Registrar and therefore do not have the legal status of being necessarily admissible in evidence as if they were the original.  They are usually obtained for information only, rather than for official purposes.