Canada

CIPO Hosts WIPO Event on Patent Grace Period

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) hosted a side event at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva on November 5, 2025, to discuss the patent grace period. The event aimed to foster discussion among delegates on the importance of grace periods for innovators, particularly SMEs, and to share user perspectives on pre-filing disclosures.

IP Canada Report 2025 Details 2024 Patent, Trademark, Design Activity

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) has released its IP Canada Report 2025, detailing intellectual property activity in 2024. The report covers patents, trademarks, and industrial designs, noting trends such as a decrease in patent and trademark applications but an increase in industrial design filings.

ARIPO Joins Global Patent Prosecution Highway

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) announced that the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) has joined the Global Patent Prosecution Highway (GPPH). This initiative allows for accelerated examination of patent applications filed in both CIPO and ARIPO, provided certain criteria are met.

CIPO Webinar Recording on Standard Essential Patents and ADR

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) has made a recorded webinar on standard essential patents (SEPs) and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) available online. The webinar features experts from CIPO, the Standards Council of Canada, and the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center.

Patents Eligible for Additional Term Under Amended Rules

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) has updated its Patent Rules, allowing patentees to apply for an additional term for their patents. This change, effective December 2, 2025, is supported by updated guidance in Chapter 32 of the Manual of Patent Office Practice (MOPOP). Patentees can now apply for this additional term via CIPO's online portal.

CBSA Preliminary Determinations: Truck Bodies from China

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) made preliminary determinations on March 6, 2026, regarding the dumping and subsidizing of truck bodies originating in or exported from China. Provisional duties have been imposed on affected imports.

BCSC Wins Legal Victory to Collect Sanctions from Fraudster

The BC Court of Appeal upheld a BC Supreme Court decision ordering a fraudster to forfeit payments from his registered accounts to the BC Securities Commission (BCSC). This ruling allows the BCSC to collect financial sanctions totaling $36.7 million from Earle Douglas Pasquill, who perpetrated a significant investment fraud.

CanLII Publishes French Legal Citation Guide (RJAL)

The Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII) has published the French version of its open access legal citation guide, the Guide canadien de la référence juridique en accès libre (RJAL). This guide aims to support legal writing and citation in French across Canada, incorporating specific terminology and a new section on multilingual sources.

CanLII Launches Redesigned Homepage and myCanLII

The Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII) has launched a redesigned homepage and updated its myCanLII user portal. The changes aim to improve the legal research experience by integrating saved content, alerts, and research folders more prominently on the homepage and within the myCanLII interface. A legacy version of myCanLII will remain accessible for one year.

CanLII Adds Five Career Preparation Ebooks

CanLII has added five open-access e-books from Emond Publishing to its commentary collection. These resources are designed to support law students, licensing candidates, and internationally trained professionals in their legal careers within Canada.