This is the first edition of IPIC's new member profile series on the UnscrIPted blog, which aims to feature a Canadian IP professional monthly and discuss their career accomplishments, interests and overall outlook on the IP profession. Sheema Khan is a patent agent with the intellectual property strategy division at Stratford Managers Corporation in Ottawa, Ontario.

For young lawyers, it can be difficult to build a career that is – or will become – meaningful to you. Developing relationships with mentors can be a valuable way to stay on a career path that is enjoyable and provides continued growth opportunities. IPIC's Young Practitioners Committee has compiled some tips on how to make the most of your mentorship relationships.

The Federal Court of Appeal has clarified the test for determining the availability of protective orders in an appeal of the Order of Justice Locke, as he then was, (the “Motion Judge”) in which a protective order jointly sought by the parties was refused on the basis that a protective order was not necessary, and ought not to be granted, where a protective agreement between litigants was a reasonably available alternative means of protecting the parties’ confidential information.

When developing strategies to address counterfeit goods, a great place to start is the border. Curbing the importation of counterfeits is vital in the fight to keep consumers safe from dangerous products. In 2015, Canada’s Border Services Agency (CBSA) introduced the Request for Assistance (RFA) program - read on to learn more.

Attending events and conferences on your own as a junior practitioner can feel daunting. Here are a few pointers that can help you prepare before you attend.

Richard Mar is an associate at DLA Piper and Chair of the IPIC Young Practitioner’s Committee. On the cusp of his 10th year of practice and his final term in the Committee, Richard discusses his practice and reflects on what he’s learned in this first stage of his career in IP law.

IPIC members are aware that IP rights have been hotly disputed in the recent Canada-US-Mexico trade negotiations. IPIC's IP Trade Policy Committee has been watching closely and provides this brief summary of what it believes are the most significant commitments of the parties as they now stand. 

Capturing and protecting innovative activity is crucial for any business looking to maximize the value of its intellectual property. Without the right people, processes, systems, and technology in place, IP management tends to be ad hoc and reactive.

There is a lot of talk about blockchain. The technology is changing the way businesses operate and creating new ways of doing everyday transactions. This blog is an overview of recent developments in the area of blockchain and global trademarks rights.

The United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (‘Singapore Convention’) was formally signed on August 7, 2019. The Convention sets requirements for reliance on settlement agreements, standards for enforcing the agreements, and grounds for refusing to grant relief.

As a legal business development and marketing professional in a past life, I picked up a few tips that most junior practitioners may not know or may not have the confidence to implement early in their careers. I am using these tips in my own practice and hope that they will help other young practitioners to build their networks and their businesses.

I had the honour to represent the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) at the 29th session of the Nice Committee of Experts in Geneva from April 29 to May 3, 2019, where the Committee dealt with hundreds of remaining proposals from the 28th session, as well as the hundreds of proposals and 4 related projects presented this year. Not surprisingly, the Committee will be carrying over a few hundred proposals and a few projects into 2020.