CIPO Consults on Expedited Patent Examination Programs and Grace Period
Summary
The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) launched a public consultation on April 23, 2026, seeking views on two patent-related topics: expedited patent examination programs (including feedback on 4 existing programs and 2 potential new options) and the patent grace period with pre-filing disclosures. The consultation will remain open for at least 2 months, with the closing date to be announced. CIPO specifically notes this consultation will inform Canada's participation in international patent discussions on grace period harmonization, indicating potential policy alignment with global IP standards.
“Your feedback will help CIPO better understand whether current programs and legal safeguards meet user needs in practice and will inform future program and policy considerations, including Canada's participation in international patent discussions on grace period harmonization.”
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What changed
CIPO has initiated a public consultation soliciting feedback on expedited patent examination programs and the patent grace period framework. For expedited examination, CIPO is seeking input on its 4 existing accelerated examination programs and considering 2 potential new expedited options. For the grace period, CIPO is requesting input on user awareness, experiences, policies, and risks associated with pre-filing disclosures. The consultation will remain open for at least 2 months with no fixed closing date yet announced.
Patent applicants, inventors, and businesses relying on Canadian patent protection should consider reviewing current expedited examination eligibility criteria and grace period practices to provide informed feedback. Responses will help shape future CIPO program offerings and policy considerations, including Canada's positioning in international grace period harmonization discussions.
Archived snapshot
Apr 24, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Share your views on expedited patent examination and the grace period
April 23, 2026
– Gatineau, Quebec
Today, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) launched a public consultation on 2 patent-related topics:
- Expedited patent examination programs, including feedback on CIPO's 4 existing accelerated examination programs, as well as 2 potential new expedited options under consideration by CIPO.
- The patent grace period and pre-filing disclosures, including awareness, experiences, policies and risks related to the grace period and disclosures made before filing for a patent. We welcome your input and invite you to share your views through our consultation page, where you will find a separate consultation paper and online survey for each topic. You may choose to provide feedback on one or both topics.
The consultation will remain open for at least 2 months. While a closing date has not yet been set, we will share it in the coming weeks and issue a reminder before the consultation closes.
Your feedback will help CIPO better understand whether current programs and legal safeguards meet user needs in practice and will inform future program and policy considerations, including Canada's participation in international patent discussions on grace period harmonization.
If you have any questions about this consultation, email us at cipoconsultations-opicconsultations@ised-isde.gc.ca.
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Date modified:
2026-04-23
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