Top Bookmarks for Today’s IP Practitioner

The world around us is becoming more reliant on technology, and the practice of IP law is no exception. There are already numerous resources offered by national IP offices and agencies around the world. For instance, Google Patents, a search engine for prior art, indexes more than 87 million patents and patent applications with full text from 17 patent offices. Similarly the World Intellectual Property Organization offers numerous resources and databases to conduct international trademark, patent, and industrial design searches. Here at home, CIPO's website has a large collection of resources on Canadian IP law and how to register, enforce, and find IP.

But beyond that, there are numerous third party resources that offer a wealth of information. While it can be at times difficult to navigate them or confirm their veracity, free online resources can significantly streamline the day-to-day practice of IP law. Below we set out some useful Canadian and international resources that you can add to your web browser’s arsenal of bookmarks to keep you on top of key developments in IP law or help you collect key evidence more efficiently:

1. Lexology – a web-based resource that provides both Canadian and international legal updates. As an aggregator of articles published by law firms and company law departments, the service allows you to search for relevant articles. You can also register to receive an email newsfeed that is tailored to the jurisdiction and legal area of interest.
2. IPPractice – allows you to sign up for a daily IP news email that delivers reports on intellectual property cases, legislative updates and other relevant intellectual property developments. The service also allows you to subscribe and monitor Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal dockets.
3. Wayback Machine – hosted by the Internet Archive, this website allows you to collect historical web page information. The Wayback Machine allows you to access a collection of website captures, and advanced features allow you to find PDF and other files previously hosted on the website that have since been removed.
4. Nimbus Screenshot & Screen Video Recorder – this tool allows you to quickly capture screenshots of entire webpages or portions thereof with a date stamp. You can also use the recording feature to make videos and screencasts of websites.
5. Player FM – this free podcast app has several IP-specific podcasts that are regularly updated with interesting developments, including IP Fridays, JurisDiction, CopyThis, and Brand & New.

While this list is non-exhaustive, these websites and tools can go a long way in helping you advance your practice.