IPIC Comments on Intellectual Property Law Issues for Consultations on the Renegotiation and Modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

IPIC's Position

To prepare this submission, we asked our members to provide observations on some of the key intellectual property interests and concerns Canadians have with respect to NAFTA. The initial response is that the intellectual property provisions of NAFTA have served Canadians well over the past two decades. This response is perhaps unsurprising, as our members represent diverse clients across vastly different sectors, ranging from intellectual property rights holders to universities and public institutions, and all areas in between. As a result, our organization finds itself in a fairly neutral position with respect to the forthcoming NAFTA renegotiations, and there are no major policy issues that we believe must absolutely be addressed. In view of its role as impartial steward of Canada’s IP regime, IPIC has no substantive comments at this time.

However, we are of the strong view that our organization is uniquely positioned to advise GAC during the renegotiation process on the practical impacts that proposed changes to the intellectual property chapter will have on Canadians. In particular, our members bring a wealth of experience in providing practical, commercially relevant advice to individual Canadians and Canadian businesses across all areas of intellectual property, from patents and trademarks to digital locks and geographical indicators. With this expertise at our disposal, our more than 1,700 members will be a valuable asset to GAC during the forthcoming renegotiations.