Consultations and Discussions

Guidelines for formal client consultations

These guidelines highlight the mechanism and process CIPO adopts when conducting these types of consultations. Read more about the topics and how you will be able to participate in upcoming consultations.

Current and Upcoming Consultations

Consultation

Product Line	Consultation	Subject	Open Date	Closing Date
Patents	Proposed changes to Manual of Patent Office Practice Chapter 9 : Description	Providing more detailed guidance regarding the requirements for a correct and full description of an invention, and to reflect recent jurisprudence	November 16, 2009	December 30, 2009
Timber Marking (Copyright and Industrial Design Branch)	Proposal to repeal the Timber Marking Act and Rules	Proposal to repeal the Timber Marking Act and Rules. This would modernize the IP administrative framework by eliminating an obsolete piece of legislation.	November 10, 2009	January 8, 2010
Trade-marks	Use and registration abroad	Processing of applications containing an incomplete 16(2) claim.	Consultation is now closed. Comments will be posted shortly.
Industrial Designs	Extension of Time	Grant one extension of time of 6 months from the expiration date of the specified time limit to respond to a report.	Consultation is now closed. See comments received
Trade-marks	Extensions of Time in Examination	Generally grant only one (1) request for a maximum six (6) month extension of time to file a response to an examiner’s report.	Consultation is now closed. Comments will be posted shortly.
Patents (Patent Appeal Board)	Proposed amendments to the Patent Rules: Post-Final Action Procedures	Proposed changes include: Amendments related to the Patent Appeal Board and Final action procedures.	Consultation is now closed. See comments received
Patents (Patent Appeal Board)	Proposed amendments to the Patent Rules and Trade-Marks Regulations: Patent and Trade-Marks Agents	Proposed changes include: Eligibility to sit for the Patent and Trade-Marks Agent Qualifying Examinations	Consultation is now closed. See comments received
Patents	Proposed amendments to the Patent Rules: Package 4	Proposed changes include: Disclaimers; Section 29 of the Patent Rules; and Claiming Practice.	TBD (2009)	TBD (2009)

Archive of past consultations

Reporting on Past Consultations and Discussions

• Patents : Proposed changes to Manual of Patent Office Practice Chapter 12: Subject-Matter and Utility and Chapter 13: Examination of Applications
• Regulatory Affairs : Proposed changes to the communications provisions under the Patent Rules and the correspondence provisions under the Trade-marks Regulations, the Industrial Design Regulations, the Copyright Regulations, and the Integrated Circuit Topography Regulations
• Proposed changes affecting (1) the deadline for responding to examination reports, (2) transfer procedures and (3) courtesy letters
• Patent: Proposed Practice Notice on Obviousness
• Proposed Changes to the Practice in Section 45 Proceedings
• Trade marks: Proposed changes to the practice of publishing future practice notices
• Proposed Amendments to the Patent Rules: Package 2
• Proposed Amendments to the Patent Rules: Package 1
• Proposed Practice Notice on "Title of Invention"
• Results of CIPO's National Client Satisfaction Survey 2008 [01/12/09]
• Electronic Payment and Deposit Account Practices [12/17/08]
• Practice in Trade-mark Opposition Proceedings [12/17/08]
• An Overview of the Results from the Focus Groups of Intellectual Property Agents [04/28/08]