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An Abbotsford entrepreneur filed a lawsuit in the Federal Court of Canada on Monday in an attempt to prevent the People’s Party of Canada from using that name in next week’s federal byelection or in the fall general election.

The suit names federal party leader Maxime Bernier, the party’s chief agent, Christian Roy, and the party itself, and also seeks damages to be determined for economic loss, expenses and the “irreparable harm” of having to compete for online search-engine rankings.

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According to Satinder Dhillon’s statement of claim, he launched his People’s Party of Canada on Canada Day, 2015, but did not apply to Elections Canada to register the name until Sept. 25, 2018. A few days earlier, it says, he obtained a trademark for the name and obtained a copyright.

Bernier applied to Elections Canada to use the name on Oct. 10, the statement of claim says.

“We own that name, that’s clear to me,” Dhillon said Monday afternoon.