The Canadian Intellectual Property Office has released some updated tools to assist practicitioners in drafting and filing industrial design applications, including sample drawings.   In Canada, industrial design protects the shape, pattern or ornamentation of a product – anything from the shape and pattern on a common metal spoon, to the design of an in-line skate, to the shape and layout of a handheld digital device.  The design on the left was registered for a telephone in 1917; on the right, a design registered by RIM in 2007.  Once registered, protection lasts for ten years, with a maintenance fee required at the five-year point.

Calgary – 10:45 MST