On Tuesday, June 18, Brian Masse, MP for Windsor West and NDP critic for Canada-US border issues, joined representatives from the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) and the Canadian Anti-Counterfeiting Network (CACN) to call on the federal government to re-establish CBSA’s commitment to protecting consumers from counterfeit goods. At a joint press conference, they urged immediate action to prioritize the detention of counterfeit items at the border. The decline in interceptions since summer 2023 has increased organized crime activity, making Canada the only G7 country on the 2023 United States Trade Representative Watchlist (USTR).

The Peter W. McBurney Memorial Award for Professional Excellence is given to an intellectual property (IP) professional in Canada; an IP Agent and/or Lawyer, and member of Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) who has demonstrated excellence in their practice during the past year in the successful prosecution of a landmark patent or trademark property, the prosecution or defense of a legal action where the result has a significant, positive effect on  Canadian IP policy and/or who has made an extraordinary contribution to the IP profession.

The IPIC Shelley Jones Outstanding Contribution Award aims to recognize an IPIC member who has made a significant contribution and impact to IPIC and/or to the IP profession as a result of their role as a volunteer of the Institute. These individuals have gone above and beyond to help IPIC and/or an IPIC Committee achieve its goal, therefore assisting IPIC achieve its strategic objectives.