The Global Clean Energy Congress and Exhibition will be coming to Calgary from November 1 – 3, 2011.  This should be an excellent venue for showcasing local technologies in the cleantech sector. 

In related news, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office’s proposal to amend the patent rules to permit expedited examination of patent applications related to green technology is moving forward. The comment period is closed, and the draft rules (Rules Amending the Patent Rules – Canada Gazette I – October 2, 2010) are being reviewed. As argued by the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (PDF), this proposed mechanism could be abused “by applicants wishing to accelerate examination of applications having only a dubious connection to green technology.” Further changes are expected before the program is implemented.

Related Reading: The National Post interviewed Richard Stobbe for an article on the plan to fast-track cleantech patent applications: “Canada plays catch-up on cleantech patents“

Calgary – 07:00 MST