News

June 21, 2023, marked an important milestone in the path towards reconciliation as the federal government issued an action plan for the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (“the UN Declaration Act”). The UN Declaration Act requires the federal government to work in consultation and cooperation with Indigenous peoples to identify the measures necessary to ensure that federal laws are consistent with UNDRIP, and to develop an action plan for achieving the objectives of UNDRIP. The action plan is an important step in upholding and implementing the rights of Indigenous peoples in Canada.

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.

Throughout this month IPIC is pleased to offer access to its On-Demand webinars on the following topics: IP & Indigenous Arts and Culture - Copyright in Focus; Forging a New Path in the Protection of Indigenous Intellectual Property; and Introduction to Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions at no cost to members and non-members.

Last week the Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, announced the appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016 of IPIC member John C. Cotter, Partner at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP in Toronto, as associate judge of the Federal Court.

In recognition of Pride, IPIC celebrates Pride Season which runs from June-September. IPIC is proud to share resources from our members firms who celebrate, provide support, and offer educational tools on how to be allies to the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Below are some member firms hosting inclusive events and activities that are of interest and can possibly provide you CPD hours while you gain new knowledge.

The IP Village is bringing together leading experts in intellectual property (IP) for their latest joint initiative, the IP Insights panel series! The IP Village is a collaboration of Canada's leading IP organizations. IPIC is thrilled to be part of this important initiative to increase IP awareness, education and use in Canada alongside the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), Global Affairs Trade Commissioner Service (GAC–TCS), the National Research Council's Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP), and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED).

The Workshop aims to promote the understanding of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) options for the resolution of intellectual property (IP) and technology disputes. The Workshop is designed for mediators, arbitration and IP lawyers, in-house counsel, patent and trademark attorneys, and business professionals wishing to familiarize themselves with international mediation and arbitration procedures and to receive training as neutrals or party representatives.

One month ago today IPIC took part in World Intellectual Property Day (World IP Day), an annual international campaign that takes place each year on April 26th that celebrates IP and generates awareness of the IP profession and the role that IP rights play in encouraging innovation and creativity.

The IP Village is bringing together leading experts in intellectual property (IP) for their latest joint initiative, the IP Insights panel series! The IP Village is a collaboration of Canada's leading IP organizations. IPIC is thrilled to be part of this important initiative to increase IP awareness, education and use in Canada alongside the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), Global Affairs Trade Commissioner Service (GAC–TCS), the National Research Council's Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP), and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED).

On April 26th IPIC and its Educational Foundation celebrate World Intellectual Property Day (World IP Day) 2023! This year’s World IP Day theme is Women and IP: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity, which aims to celebrate women inventors, creators and entrepreneurs around the world and their imagination, ingenuity and hard work, but also to recognize the significant challenges that they often face in accessing necessary knowledge, skills, resources and support. We encourage all of you to learn more about World IP Day this year’s theme, and to find out how you can recognize and support women in IP by visiting WIPO's World IP Day webpage. 

The theme of this year’s World IP Day is an important reminder that many segments of Canadian society do not have equal access to the necessary resources and tools to thrive in our profession. IPIC has been focused on raising awareness and working to make meaningful, positive change in respect of these issues. Since 2019, IPIC's Educational Foundation’s [Patent & Trademark Institute Educational Foundation (PTIEF)] mandate has been to encourage education and scholarship in the IP field with a focus on promoting diversity and inclusion among IP professionals and removing barriers to access for members of under-represented groups interested in pursuing educational opportunities in the IP field.

It is with profound sadness that we share with our members the passing of our dear friend, Shelley Jones. Shelley was an IPIC Fellow and longtime member of the institute for over 22 years, a former member of the IPIC team, and our ongoing EDI Project Consultant. In every capacity and in every role she took on she soared and led by example with grace, professionalism, and optimism. Optimism, that along with her kind spirit, were contagious and an inspiration to all those around her.