have filed for trade-mark registration. However, if the name "South Pole" is known for frozen-water products, the company could argue ownership of the name "South Pole" as a trade name, as well as prior use of a trade-mark. The Office of the Registrar of Trade-marks would not have the name "South Pole" in its trade-mark records, because it does not register trade names. "South Pole Inc.," however, could easily find out about your application for "North Pole," either by doing a search of the Office of the Registrar of Trade-marks records or a search at the time your application is published in the Trade-marks Journal. "South Pole" may then challenge your application during the opposition stage in the registration process. As trade names may be recorded separately in each province under provincial legislation, there is no complete central inventory containing all current names for Canada as a whole. As conducting a search of trade names is quite complex, we suggest that you hire a trade-mark agent to do the work for you. Consider hiring a registered trade-mark agent Preparing and following through on a trade-mark application is a complex process requiring broad knowledge of trade-mark law and Office of the Registrar of Trade-marks practice -- knowledge one can expect a registered trade-mark agent to have. A resident of Canada who is a barrister or solicitor, or a notary in the province of Quebec, may become a trade-mark agent by passing the qualifying examination or working in the area of trade-mark