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14 August 2018Patents

Canada focus: putting IP at the heart of business

Johanne Bélisle was appointed CEO of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) just three years ago, and it’s fair to say she is leaving her mark on the office: by 2019, Canada will have acceded to five international IP treaties.

Speaking to WIPR, Bélisle explains that one of her biggest priorities is for CIPO to have joined the key treaties—the Madrid Protocol, Singapore Treaty, Nice Agreement, Hague Agreement, and Patent Law Treaty—by next year.

She says that Canada is on schedule to accede to the Hague Agreement later this year, with plans to accede to the others in 2019.

As well as representing “an essential step towards harmonisation with other jurisdictions”, the accessions signal Canada’s commitment to the international IP system, Bélisle says.

“These treaties will streamline access to user-friendly options for the protection of IP in Canada and in multiple countries around the world,” she explains.

Bélisle adds that, as well as stimulating foreign investment and facilitating international trade, Canada’s involvement in the treaties will provide Canadian businesses in international markets with a “fast, simple, and cost-effective way to acquire IP protection abroad”.

Canada’s accession to the treaties will be a “significant milestone” for CIPO, as well as for Canada’s IP system more generally.

“IP plays a critical role in encouraging innovation, attracting investment, and supporting an innovative economy,” Bélisle says.

Facts and figures

Referring to data from the World Intellectual Property Organization, Bélisle notes that the most popular form of technology for owners of patents filed at CIPO is medical (3,502 patent publications in 2014), with pharmaceuticals coming in second (3,439).

Civil engineering (2,867), biotechnology (2,017), and computer technology (1,905) follow.

Although these figures do not reflect the most recent year, Bélisle says “the relative importance of technology groupings does not fluctuate greatly over time”.

Canada received a total of 34,745 patent applications in 2016, according to the “2017 IP Canada Report”, with the majority coming from non-Canadian residents (30,667). Bélisle explains that this is due to “Canada’s being a small, open economy with close ties to the much larger US market”.

She describes CIPO’s relationship with the US Patent and Trademark Office as “strong and long-standing”, noting that “the US represents the largest international filer in Canada for all categories of IP rights”.

In 2016, 26,424 patents were granted by CIPO, equating to a 19% increase on 2015.

Bélisle notes that the increase in grants demonstrates how the office is continually improving its productivity and efficiency.

Many more trademark applications were filed (54,665) and registered (34,306) than patents, in 2016.

The volume of trademarks registered by CIPO in 2016 increased from the previous year (9%), but the data indicates that there has been a 41% increase in trademarks registered since 2012.

The number of applications for trademarks and industrial designs grew year-on-year by 4% and 6% respectively, but total patent applications filed were down by 6% compared to the 2015 figures.

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