Rebel News Network has filed a civil lawsuit against the Federal Liberal Agency of Canada for using a slogan they trademarked when Liberal staffers planted fake Conservative propaganda buttons.
The lawsuit, filed with the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto, is dated April 17, 2025 — the day of the English-language leaders’ debate in Montreal, when the post-debate scrum was abruptly cancelled without explanation.
Rebel News sent the Western Standard a copy of the lawsuit on Monday.
The button campaign in question took place the week of April 9, where two top Liberal Party staffers openly admitted they planted buttons with messages on them that mimic slogans of President Donald Trump at a Canada Strong and Free Network (CSFN) Conference in Ottawa.
The buttons bore slogans like, “Make Canada Great Again,” “Lock Justin Up,” “Stop the Steal,” “There is No Climate Crisis,” “A Vote for Carney is a Vote for WEXIT,” and “Danielle Smith for CPC Leader 2026.”
The buttons were scattered in the various rooms of the Westin hotel where the conference was being held, as though they were from a Conservative campaign — however, Liberal staffers bragged about their mission at a nearby bar over the weekend.
Rebel News, in the lawsuit, says they filed for the trademark for the slogan “Make Canada Great Again” in 2016, “as relates to, among other things, paper and printed goods, leather and artificial leather goods, household goods and glass, clothing, footwear, headgear and telecommunications.”
In 2019, the application was processed, and the slogan officially became a registered trademark of Rebel News.
The lawsuit names the two political staffers, who were unnamed in the CBC’s report of the scandal — the staffers admitted the dirty trick to CBC reporter Kate McKenna — as John Doe 1 and John Doe 2.
Both are “employed by the Liberal Party,” and are “unknown to Rebel News but known to the Liberal party.” Rebel has sued them for “improper use of, and statutory interference with, the registered trademark.”
“John Doe 1 and John Doe 2, at the request, and with the participation, of the Liberal Party, manufactured, or caused to be manufactured, buttons that had various slogans written on them that would be considered by most people to be conservative in nature,” states the lawsuit.
“The intention was that people would assume that the various buttons were manufactured and distributed by the Conservatives themselves, or by CSFN. The purpose of the defendants manufacturing and placing these buttons at the conference was to associate the Federal Conservative Party of Canada and its candidates with American President Donald Trump, in order to create negative publicity for the Conservatives and to assist the Liberal Party and its candidates’ chances in the upcoming federal election.”
“John Doe 1 purportedly admitted his involvement, and that of John Doe 2, in the operation to a member of the media, but later denied having said anything. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the concept for the operation came from the Liberal party’s war room.”
“By manufacturing and distributing the buttons, the defendants infringed on the plaintiff’s statutory rights to the registered trademarks.”
“The statutory cause of action for passing off requires three elements. The first is the existence of goodwill associated with a valid trademark held by the plaintiff. The second is confusion or likely confusion in the public due to a misrepresentation. The third is actual or potential damage to the plaintiff.”
“The defendants willfully created confusion in the minds of the public that the various buttons were manufactured and distributed by the Conservatives themselves, in order to create negative publicity for the Conservatives and to assist the Liberal Party and its candidates’ chances in the upcoming federal election.”
“The buttons constituted election advertising and the Defendants failed to mention that the advertising was authorized by the Liberal Party as required by section 320 of the Canada Elections Act, thereby constituting a strict liability offence under section 495 of the Canada Elections Act.”
“Further … the Canada Elections Act makes it an offence for a person to distribute, transmit or publish any material that is purported to be made, distributed, transmitted or published by a political party if it is done so with the intent of misleading the public into believing that it was made, distributed, transmitted or published by that political party.”
The Liberals must respond to the lawsuit with a statement of intent to defend, depending on where it was served — within 20 days in Ontario, if served within another province or the US, and 60 days if outside of Canada or the US.
The party will then have an additional 10 days to file their statement of defence.
If the party fails to defend the proceeding, judgment will be given against them in their absence. Should the Liberals decide to pay for the plaintiff’s claims, plus $750 for costs, within the time period stated above, they may move to have the claim dismissed.
In the event the Liberals believe the amount claimed for costs is excessive, they may pay the plaintiff’s claim and $400 for costs, and have the costs assessed by the court.
Rebel News claims they must be paid $100,000 for trademark infringement under the Trademarks Act, and the Liberals must destroy all products in their possession.
Further, the Liberals must agree to an “interim, interlocutory and permanent injunction restraining the defendants from possessing or distributing any products that bear the plaintiff’s registered trademark” and make a “declaration that the defendants have breached sections 320 and 481(1)(b) of the Canada Elections Act.”
Rebel News cites punitive damages to be $250,000.
“Rebel News is a federal company carrying on business as an independent online news and media company operating across Canada and around the world,” states the lawsuit.
“Rebel News has been granted media accreditation by governments in Canada and around the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Sweden, the Netherlands and India.”
“Rebel News is a member of the Independent Press Gallery of Canada.”
