The Canadian Patent Office

The Canadian Patent Office or CIPO - Canadian Intellectual Property Office -is in charge of administrating and processing intellectual property in Canada. It handles patents, trademarks, copyrights, industrial designs, and integrated circuit topographies. However, the agency known as the CFIA or Canadian Food Inspection Agency handles plant breeder's rights for new plant varieties.

CIPO functions as a SOA agency (Special Operating Agency) and part of Industry Canada. Patents to be granted in Canada are in the jurisdiction of the Canadian government only. The Canadian Federal Court is in charge of enforcing the patents. The Federal Patent Act contains the rules and regulations. Canada is also governed by the PCT, also known as Patent Cooperation Treaty, along with the United States and the EPO - European Patent Office. In this treaty, Canada acts as receiving office, as international preliminary examining authority, and as international searching authority.

In Canada, all the applications for patent are made public. This happens after filing - 18 months after. This is to inform Canadians of new technology and protect the inventors right as well. Canada also publishes a list of Patent agents who are registered with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office and work filing and preparing patent applications for inventors.

The CIPO gives a patent to the first inventor to apply for it - even if the concept was invented by someone else prior and can be proved. The issue here is to file the application to become the owner of the invention. There are certain rules to apply for a filing patent date as well. These steps must be followed properly in order to obtain a filing date, otherwise the application will be returned. There are certain ways to prepare a patent office application and certain information required by the Canadian Patent Office. In general, an abstract and specifications must be submitted to get a filing date from the patent office. It can be sent in English or in French languages. Drawings and information of the inventor must be included as well. After that an inventor must request an examination formally - in the next five years - it can take up to two years of waiting after an examination request due to the high volume of applications in Canada. The process is slow. Canada requires that the invention is original, has novelty, ingenuity, and that it is functional as well as work, in order to get a patent for it.

Their internet site can be accessed at this link and offers information about patents and procedures as well as latest's news. If a person wants to make any inquiries in relation with an invention, they can call this number 1-866-997-1936. The address for the main office is 50 Victoria ST, Room C-114, Gatineau, Quebec K 1A 0C9. The working hours for this office are during Monday through Friday and from the hours of 8:00 am until 4:30 pm.

The patent process may require the help of an agent depending on the complexity of the invention, and the filing procedures; many inventors decide to hire a professional to help them through all the legalities and formalities.