Canadian Government Releases their National IP Strategy, Including the Creation of a College of Patent and Trademark Agents

The Federal Government held an event earlier today to mark World Intellectual Property Day and to officially announce a National Intellectual Property (IP) Strategy, including the creation of legislation for a governance framework for patent and trademark agents.

In Budget 2018, the Federal Government announced the first details included in their National IP Strategy, one of which was raising IP awareness and literacy levels of Canadian entrepreneurs. IPIC remains supportive of this goal and looks forward to working with those involved as it is critical that the content and delivery of this message comes from experienced members of the IP profession.

An important prerequisite in attempts to bolster development, registration, and use of IP is to ensure that the public has confidence in the IP system and the profession that works within it. Today's announcement will ensure that the patent and trademark agents that entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes call upon to help them realize their ambitions, are regulated like the other professionals they hire.

"This is an important step for the future of the profession and for Canadian innovation." said Grant Lynds, President of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada. "This new framework will instill greater public confidence in the IP system, thus helping to foster a culture of innovation in Canada. As we all know, the work of patent and trademark agents is a key element in obtaining valuable IP rights, and therefore a key component in Canadian innovation." adds President Lynds.

Intellectual property is key to the growth and success of innovative companies. Because innovation and intellectual property are inextricably linked, countries that are global innovation leaders need to have robust IP systems.

"A new governance framework will ensure that Canada has a modern, robust, highly trained intellectual property community of professionals to support the Canadian economy and will hold its members to the highest development and ethical standards. This is a key step that will solidify the excellence of the IP profession in Canada and support a strong IP system. The creation of a robust governance framework places the IP profession alongside other regulated professionals who deliver high quality services under a self-regulation model that serves the public interest." Steve Garland, Chair of IPIC's Professional Regulation Committee

IPIC is also supportive of other government initiatives announced today, such as the funding for the Copyright Board of Canada and the creation of an IP Marketplace for government owned IP, and IPIC looks forward to reviewing and providing input to other legislative changes yet to be tabled. IPIC would like to thank the Government of Canada and the many public officials, particularly the Hon. Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development, for all their support.

IPIC is the professional association of trademark agents, patent agents and lawyers practicing in all areas of intellectual property law. Our membership totals over 1,600 individuals, consisting of practitioners in law firms and agencies of all sizes, sole practitioners, in-house corporate intellectual property professionals, government personnel, and academics. Our members' clients include virtually all Canadian businesses, universities and other institutions that have an interest in intellectual property in Canada or elsewhere, and also foreign companies who hold intellectual property rights in Canada.

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For further information: Véronique Coch, Director of Communications, Intellectual Property Institute of Canada, Telephone: 613-234-0516