The retired marketing and sales professional who sent a shockwave through an Ontario community known for laid-back cottage living by trademarking its name said he plans to hand the rights over to the local government.

Michael Stinson claims he has faced harassment and defamation of his character following a Haliburton County Council meeting last week where officials learned that he applied to trademark the name “Haliburton.”

Stinson filed the claim in October 2015. It was officially registered on Tuesday, according to the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) website. His rights now extend to a host of commercial goods including clothing, pillows, cooler bags, blankets, beach toys, dairy products, lighters, and candy.

“Next thing I know it was all in the media, in the local newspapers, how I was harassing local customers. That they had to buy product from me,” he told CTV Barrie. “Another untruth was that I was actually charging them royalty fees.”

Stinson’s trademark acquisition raised eyebrows in part because it may contradict federal government rules forbidding individuals from registering the names of geographic locations under certain circumstances.

According to the CIPO, “You may not register a word that uses a geographical location known to be the place where the goods or services come from.”

For example, the CIPO states that you cannot register the word “Italy” for a lasagna brand, but you could register “North Pole” as a trademark for bananas. It is unclear how the rules apply to Stinson’s slate of 15 product types.

Stinson, who was born and raised in Toronto and now lives in nearby Minden, Ont., said he has been visiting the region for over six decades. Trademarking the name Haliburton, he explains, was motivated by his desire to help put the region on the map and stimulate local business.

“I thought it was the right thing to do. That way we all own the name,” he said. “I’m not taking it away from someone, but imagine if someone did. Someone could have done it from out of province, out of the country, or a major retailer (could have).”

Standing on a dock wearing a one of his signature Haliburton shirts emblazoned with a loon, he said he imagines a local clothing brand one day targeting more than tourists, throwing out names like L.L. Bean and Eddie Bauer.

For now though, Stinson, said he is content to sell his souvenirs in smaller shops, like the local Home Hardware.

“I come from a sales and marketing background, and I can help these small stores that never thought of buying T-shirts, and mugs and sports bags and things like that because it costs them a lot of money. I can sell to them in small quantities and help them merchandise.”

Stinson, who first applied for the trademark two years ago, now plans to hand it over to the county.

“There are some legal processes that have to take place, but the intent is there that I can then pass it on to the county,” he said.

Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce spokesperson Richard Wannan believes that it was never Stinson’s intention to use the trademark to shake down local businesses or otherwise exploit the Haliburton name. He said Stinson has not harassed anyone in the community or demanded royalties, to his knowledge.

“He did this out of the goodness of his heart, to build a brand for Haliburton and to really make this place stand out on a map,” he said. “Michael is truly a legitimate individual selling some good products within the community.”

Once the dust settles, Stinson said he hopes to ease into his retirement by forging a productive relationship with local officials and business owners.

“This was blown way, way out of proportion,” he said. “We are all going to sit around . . . having a few beers and I will say, ‘How did this whole thing happen? And how did it get to this over a few T-shirts with the Haliburton name on it.”

With a report from CTV Barrie’s Mike Arsalides