There a few recent updates from the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO):

1. Trade-marks: Is Canada finally going to join the Madrid Protocol? CIPO has just a opened a consultation on a Proposal to amend the Trade-marks Act. The proposed amendments focus on  “new business practices and improved international standards”. This may re-ignite the debate about whether Canada should ratify the Madrid Protocol. 
2. Patents: CIPO launched three new two-year Patent Prosecution Highway pilot projects with Japan, Denmark, and Korea, which supplements the ongoing project with USPTO.  The procedures of the Canada-US PPH pilot project will be harmonized with the newly-introduced programs.
3. Patents: There is a new Chapter 12 of the MOPOP on Subject-Matter & Utility and a revised Chapter 13 of the MOPOP on Examination of Applications.  Note that the subject of business-method and software patents (covered by Chapter 16, Computer-Implemented Inventions) is being revised by the Patent Office and proposed revisions are expected by Spring 2010.

Calgary – 11:00 MST