Curriculum

The curriculum will cover topics tested in the exam:

Pre-advertisement issues corresponding to PART A of the Exam including searching and availability, filing applications, responding to office actions, section 12(2) and 14 affidavits.
Post-advertisement issues corresponding to PART B of the Exam including opposition proceedings, section 45 proceedings, licensing, assignments, renewals, infringement and passing off.

Format

The course is conducted online over 10 weeks and includes:

Case study webinars will assist candidates in interpreting jurisprudence, the Trade-marks Act and the Trade-marks Regulations.

A former Trademark Agent Examining Board member will offer guidance on preparing for and writing the Exam.

	Assignment Due Dates
UNIT 1 Trademark Searching & Availability	September 7
UNIT 2 Preparing and Filing the Trademark Application	September 14
UNIT 3 Office Actions – Conformity (Section 30)	September 21
UNIT 4 Office Actions – Inherent Registrability (Section 12)	September 28
UNIT 5 Office Actions – Entitlement (Section 16)	October 5
UNIT 6 Grounds of Opposition (Section 38(2)(a)) – Conformity	October 12
UNIT 7 Grounds of Opposition (Section 38(2)(b)) – Registrability	October 19
UNIT 8 Grounds of Opposition (Section 38(2)(c) and (d)) – Entitlement and Distinctiveness	October 26
UNIT 9 Allowance, Renewals, Assignments, Licensing, Passing Off, Infringement, Combating Counterfeit Products Act	November 2
UNIT 10 Section 45 Proceedings	November 9

The course is aimed at candidates who possess an understanding of:

the basic principles of trademark law, including descriptiveness, distinctiveness, confusion, and entitlement;
the trademark process from filing to registration and beyond, including exposure to office actions involving technical and substantive objections, and to assignments and licensing;
opposition and summary non-use cancellation proceedings, including exposure to opposition pleadings and evidence.

	Hours
Law Society of Ontario	9
Law Society of British Columbia	30
Law Society of Saskatchewan**	–
Law Society of Manitoba	30
Law Society of Alberta	30

** An application for accreditation of the session will be submitted upon request by a participant

This program may be eligible for up to:

10 substantive hours for viewing the case study webinar recordings (1 hour per webinar)
20 substantive hours for completing the assignments (2 hours per assignment)

Please contact CIPO directly at IC.CIPOAgentExams-OPICExamenAgent.IC@canada.ca for further information regarding the date and registration deadline of the 2018 Examination.