Manual of Patent Office Practice (MOPOP)
The Manual of Patent Office Practice (MOPOP) is a guide for patent examiners, applicants, agents and the public to the operational procedures and examination practices of the Canadian Patent Office.
Practices expressed in the MOPOP arise from the Office's interpretation of the Patent Act, Patent Rules and jurisprudence as of the date each chapter came into effect.
This manual is solely a guide and should not be considered to be a binding legal authority. In the event of any inconsistency between this guide and the applicable legislation, this legislation must be followed.
The manual is updated periodically to reflect changes to the statutory, regulatory and jurisprudential framework governing patents in Canada.
Please note that the current version of the MOPOP does not cover all practices relating to the prosecution of applications filed prior to October 1, 1989.
Information regarding forthcoming updates to this manual, including periods of public consultation, may be found on the MOPOP Updates page of this website.
Complete manual (PDF - 2.2 MB - 443 pages)
(last update: December 2010)
Chapter Listing
Chapter 1
Revised - March 2007
- Contacting the Patent Office
- Contacting the Patent Office (PDF - 157 KB - 9 pages)
Chapter 2
Revised - March 1998
- Opening and Inspection of Documents
- Opening and Inspection of Documents (PDF - 57 KB - 6 pages)
Chapter 3
Revised - March 1998
- Inquiries and Information on Pending Applications
- Inquiries and Information on Pending Applications (PDF - 53 KB - 4 pages)
Chapter 4
Revised - March 1998
- Petitions and Appointment of Agents or Representatives
- Petitions and Appointment of Agents or Representatives (PDF - 182 KB - 6 pages)
Chapter 5
Revised - March 1998
- Filing and Completion Requirements
- Filing and Completion Requirements (PDF - 55 KB - 5 pages)
Chapter 6
Revised - March 1998
- Ownership and Registration
- Ownership and Registration (PDF - 195 KB - 10 pages)
Chapter 7
Revised - March 1998
- Internal Priority and Convention Priority
- Internal Priority and Convention Priority (PDF - 63 KB - 7 pages)
Chapter 8
Revised - September 2004
Chapter 9
Revised - December 2010
- Description
- Description (PDF - 169 KB - 33 pages)
Chapter 10
Revised - September 2004
Chapter 11
Revised - March 1998
Chapter 12
Revised - December 2009
- Utility and subject matter
- Utility and subject matter (PDF - 200 KB - 38 pages)
Chapter 13
Revised - December 2009
- Examination of Applications
- Examination of Applications (PDF - 170 KB - 13 pages)
Chapter 14
Revised - March 1998
- Unity of Invention
- Appendix
- Unity of Invention and Appendix (PDF - 369 KB - 32 pages)
Chapter 15
Revised - March 1998
- Requirements for Patentability
- Requirements for Patentability (PDF - 97 KB - 14 pages)
Chapter 16
Revised - October 2010
- Computer implemented inventions
- Computer implemented inventions (PDF - 185 KB - 40 pages)
Chapter 17
Revised - January 2009
- Biotechnology
- Biotechnology (PDF - 251 KB - 55 pages)
- Archived March 1998 version
Chapter 18
Revised - December 2003
- Protest and Filing Prior Art
- Protest and Filing Prior Art (PDF - 171 KB - 5 pages)
Chapter 19
Revised - December 2003
- Amendments to Patent Applications
- Amendments to Patent Applications (PDF - 229 KB - 17 pages)
Chapter 20
Revised - March 1998
- Time Limits, Withdrawal, Abandonment and Lapse
- Time Limits, Withdrawal, Abandonment and Lapse (PDF - 222 KB - 14 pages)
Chapter 21
Revised - March 1998
- Final Action Practice
- Final Action Practice (PDF - 70 KB - 7 pages)
Chapter 22
Revised - September 2004
- Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
- Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) (PDF - 310 KB - 30 pages)
Chapter 23
Revised - March 2004
- Amendments to Patents
- Amendments to Patents (PDF - 275 KB - 25 pages)
Chapter 24
Revised - September 2004
- Maintenance Fees
- Maintenance Fees (PDF - 180 KB - 6 pages)
Chapter 25
Revised - September 2004
- Tariff of Fees
- Tariff of Fees (PDF - 84 KB - 9 pages)
Archived chapter
Chapter 17
Revised - March 1998
- Biotechnology
- Biotechnology (PDF - 256 KB - 26 pages)
