Proposed amendments to the Patent Rules are published for consultation in the Canada Gazette to address patent term adjustment and other changes to streamline prosecution. The proposed amendments include excess claim fees, limits on office actions and requests for continued examination, updating rules on sequence listings and some miscellaneous amendments.
Tag Archives: Patents
College
As reported in my post from last week, the College of Patent Agent and Trademark Agents will come into force on June 28. The supporting regulations were published in Canada Gazette today.
PTAB
The US Supreme Court has found that the judges of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) were improperly appointed under the U.S. constitution but fixed the issue by making PTAB determinations reviewable by the director of the USPTO (see Arthrex).
College
The new College of Patent Agents and Trademark Agents is coming into force on June 28, 2021. The College will regulate patent and trademark agents, including the exams, maintenance of the register of agents and disciplinary matters. Continue reading College
11 Million
Earlier today, the USPTO issued patent 11,000,000. Since the USPTO granted US10,000,000 about three years ago, the Canadian Patent Office issued about 64,000 patents.
College
Implementing regulations for the new College of Patent Agents and Trademark Agents are published in the Canada Gazette for a 30 day consultation. The regulations and transition provisions would provide for the transfer of responsibility for agents, including entrance examinations and conduct, to the new college. The regulations would establish an Investigations Committee and the Discipline Committee with a majority of public members, impose a residency requirement on agents, and replace ‘firm’ agents with the option to appointment of all the patent agents at the same firm.
Fees
A number of fees at CIPO are increasing by 2% as of January 1, 2021 due to application of the Service Fees Act. As a result, the fees listed in schedules in the various regulations, such as Schedule 2 to the Patent Rules, may no longer be accurate. For example, the regular patent filing fee will increase to $408 as of January 1st. CIPO has an updated fee schedule. Application fees for a Certificate of Supplementary Protection also increase by 2% but not until April 2021.
Patent Collective
Canada’s “Innovation Asset Collective” was launched today with $30m in support through the government’s Patent Collective Pilot Program. According to Minister Bains’ announcement, “The Collective will bring businesses together to help them make the most strategic use of their intellectual property.” Continue reading Patent Collective
Patentable Subject Matter
CIPO has published practice guidance on patentable subject matter following the recent decision in Choueifaty as well as some examples for computer-implemented, medical diagnostic and medical use inventions. CIPO indicated that updates to MOPOP are coming later and will be subject to consultation.
PTAB
In other Supreme Court news, earlier today, the United States Supreme Court granted cert in Arthrex considering the constitutionality of the appointment of USPTO’s PTAB judges and their subsequent decisions.