IPIC Congratulates This Year’s Foundation Award Winners

The Patent and Trademark Institute Education Foundation is a registered charity managed by IPIC that awards prizes to the candidates who obtain the highest marks in the patent and trademark agent exams.

In order to be eligible to take the Trademark Agent Qualifying Examination, prospective Canadian trademark agents must have worked for at least 24 months in the area of Canadian trademark law and practice, including preparing and prosecuting trademark applications. There are two parts to the exam that must be successfully passed: Part A which focuses on pre-advertisement issues and Part B which focuses on post-advertisement issues. In order to pass the exam, you must receive a minimum score of 65% on each part of the exam.

The Foundation’s Award for the highest mark overall in the 2019 Trademark Agent Exam is awarded to Ms. Nora Labbancz of Smart & Biggar in Ottawa.

I am extremely proud to have been awarded the Educational Foundation Award by the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada. Receiving this award has provided validation of my foundational understanding of Canadian trademark law and demonstrates that I will be able to provide excellent service to our clients. – Nora Labbancz

The J. Edward Maybee Memorial Prize for the highest overall mark in the 2019 patent agent exam is awarded to Mr. Julien Fleurance of ROBIC in Montreal.

Je suis extrêmement honoré de recevoir le Prix J. Edward Maybee remis par l’IPIC. Je suis également très fier d’ajouter mon nom à celui de mes collègues Dominique Pomerleau et Dominique Nolet, qui ont toutes les deux reçu ce prix par le passé. J’en profite pour exprimer de nouveau ma reconnaissance au cabinet Robic pour m’avoir fait confiance et m’avoir permis de traverser l’océan Atlantique pour m’installer au Québec. – Julien Fleurance

Prospective Canadian patent agents must have worked for at least 24 months in the area of Canadian patent law and practice, including preparing and prosecuting patent applications, in order to be eligible to take the Patent Agent Qualifying Examination. There are four papers that must be successfully passed: Paper A – Drafting, Paper B – Validity, Paper C - Office Practice and Paper D - Infringement

In order to pass the examination, you must receive a minimum score of 50 out of 100 on each paper, with a minimum aggregate of 240. You may carry forward scores greater than 60 out of 100 to subsequent years until all papers have been passed.

The Marie F. Morency Memorial Prize is awarded to the individual with the highest mark in Paper A of the Patent Agent Examination. This year’s Marie F. Morency Memorial Prize is awarded to Mr. Kevin Banaschewski of Gowling WLG in Ottawa.

Receiving this award dignifies the countless hours spent preparing for the exams, and perhaps most of all, is a testament to my mentors that have guided me in this profession and my friends and family that have supported me along the way. – Kevin Banaschewski

Click here to learn more about the Patent and Trademark Institute Education Foundation.