Canada: Licensing & Syndication

Starting July 20, 2026, the USPTO will require Canadian patent applicants and owners to use US registered patent practitioners for most patent matters. Canadian patent agents and lawyers already registered before the USPTO remain qualified to represent Canadian applicants, allowing coordination of North American patent strategy through a single team. Canadian applicants currently filing directly or through unregistered representatives should review their upcoming deadlines and ensure appropriate representat

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office has released findings from roundtable discussions with 53 small and medium-sized businesses across six cities, revealing significant challenges in protecting intellectual property. Business owners identified cost, slow timelines, complexity, and limited knowledge as major barriers to accessing IP protection in Canada. CIPO plans to use this feedback to shape its upcoming business strategy and has already initiated a review of its fee structure.

The efficiency gains are substantial, but so are the risks. Critical questions about who qualifies as an inventor, whether an AI-assisted invention is patentable, and what documentation companies need to protect...

Foundational CRISPR patent rights remain fiercely contested, with disputes playing out across multiple jurisdictions.

In a major legal win for Canadian agribusiness innovation, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has successfully defended its intellectual property rights in the United States over the Staccato cherry, a late-ripening variety developed in Summerland, British Columbia.

In Ontario, business owners typically consider franchising versus licensing as they plan to grow their company. Both methods promote growth through the resources of a third party, but they work in dramatically different ways.

On January 1, 2024, fees that are payable to the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) for industrial design applications and registrations will increase by at least 25 percent.

On December 2, 2021 Ontario's Working for Workers Act, 2021 (the "Act") received Royal Assent. The Act amended the Employment Standards Act, 2000 ("ESA")...

Developing an intellectual property (IP) strategy can prove to be a daunting, costly process. If you're looking to protect and commercialize your IP, a government-sponsored program...