In 2018, approximately 23,500 patents were granted by the Canadian Patent Office. Halliburton Energy Services was the top recipient of patents with over twice the patents obtained as any other applicant. The other top applicants were General Electric Company, The Boeing Company, and BlackBerry Limited. Continue reading Top Patentees 2018→
Due to a network problem last week, IPPractice was not operational for several days. Today’s email includes the missing updates but let me know if you think I have missed anything.
Bill C-86, the budget bill that implements changes to the Patent Act, the Trade-marks Act and the Copyright Act, enacts the College of Patent Agents and Trade-mark Agents Act and makes changes for IP licenses in insolvency received royal assent yesterday. Bill C-86 received minor amendments as it went through parliament.
Amendments to the Patent Rules were published (link) in the Canada Gazette Part I in preparation for ratification of the Patent Law Treaty. As discussed in earlier posts, these amendments overhaul filing requirements, the timing of responses to CIPO notices and the abandonment procedures. Consultation is open for 30 days. CIPO has indicated that implementation is expected by the end of 2019.
The trade agreement was signed by Canada, the United States and Mexico on Friday and the text of the agreement, including the chapter on Intellectual Property published (link).
My latest column for Slaw has been published, on the IP changes included in the US Mexico Canada trade agreement. The agreement is supposed to be signed Friday but reports are that the countries are still in discussions. Continue reading USMCA→
Yesterday, a new Prothonotary was appointed to the Federal Court. Madam Prothonotary Sylvie M. Molgat will be based in Ottawa (link). Continue reading Prothonotary→