Canadian Inventor Organizations

Who governs and decides intellectual property law in Canada and where can you get intellectual property protection that provides coverage? The answer is CIPO — the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. Its also important to note that patent laws are national so you must obtain a patent in each country in which you want protection. (Fun fact: 95% of Canadian patents and 40% of U.S. patents were granted to foreign nationals.) Canadian Intellectual Property Office The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), a Special Operating Agency (SOA) associated with Industry Canada, is responsible for the administration and processing of the greater part of intellectual property in Canada. CIPOs areas of activity include patents, trademarks, copyrights, industrial designs, and integrated circuit topographies. The Manual of Patent Office Practice (MOPOP) is maintained to ensure that it reflects the latest developments in the Canadian patent laws and practices. Patent and Trademark Databases If your idea has ever been patented before, you will not be eligible for a patent. While hiring a professional is recommended an inventor should do at least preliminary search themselves and if capable a complete search. One purpose of a trademark search is to determine if someone has already trademarked your intended mark. Search Engine for Canadian Patents This database lets you access over 75 years of patent descriptions and images. You can search, retrieve and study more than 1,400,000 patent documents.International Patent SearchesSearch Engine for Canadian Trademarks The search result(s) will contain the trademark, status, application number, and registration number (if it exists) of the document.International Trademark Searches Patent Classification Patent classification is a numbered filing system that helps manage the huge databases of patents. Patents are assigned a class number and name (not to be mistaken for issue number) based on what type of invention it is. Since 1978 Canada has used the International Patent Classification (IPC) which is maintained by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), one of 16 specialized agencies of the United Nations.