Client Service Standards
CIPO is committed to providing service to its clients according to defined service standards, and regularly measures whether or not these commitments are being met. Measuring performance and monitoring progress are important elements of planning. These processes allow us to assess what we have achieved over time and determine where there is room for the organization to improve.
- Patents
- Patent Appeal Board
- Trade-marks
- Trade-marks Oppostion Board
- Industrial Designs
- Copyrights
- Information Branch - Client Service Centre
- Service Standards Reports for 2009-2010 and 2010-2011
Learn more about the history of CIPO's service standards.
2011-2012 Client Service Standards
| Service | Commitment | Expectation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Issue filing date | within 4 weeks upon receipt of application that meets filing requirements including fees | 90% | |
| Issue confirmation date of national entry for Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications | within 8 weeks upon receipt of application that meets entry requirements including fees | 90% | |
| Provide first action (allowance or first substantive report) – Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) – upon receipt of a complete request for PPH | within 3 months for every discipline | 90% | |
| Provide an international search report and written opinion or a no search report and written opinion – International Search Authority (ISA) – upon receipt of request for ISA | the later of 3 months from receiving search copy or 9 months from the priority date, in all disciplines | 90% | |
| Provide an International Preliminary Report on Patentability (IPRP) – International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) – upon receipt of request for IPEA | the later of 6 months from receipt of a complete demand or 28 months from the priority date, in all disciplines | 90% | |
| Examination – TATs Percentage of inventory of applications with a request for examination waiting for a first office action – percentage of applications with a request for examination will be waiting for a first substantive office action less than (by discipline) | Biotechnology | 21 months | 80% |
| Electrical | 30 months | 80% | |
| Mechanical | 18 months | 80% | |
| Organic chemistry | 18 months | 80% | |
| General chemistry | 18 months | 90% | |
| Examination – TATs Percentage of inventory of applications with a request for examination waiting for subsequent office actions – upon receipt of your response, a subsequent Patent Office action will be completed within the period specified for each discipline | Biotechnology | 24 months | 90% |
| Electrical | 30 months | 90% | |
| Mechanical | 12 months | 90% | |
| Organic chemistry | 12 months | 90% | |
| General chemistry | 12 months | 90% | |
| Issue ownership registration or notification requesting additional information | within 6 weeks upon receipt of request and fees | 90% | |
| Service | Commitment | Expectation |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule hearing date | for applications referred to Patent Appeal Board before January 2011 | 90% |
| Issue decision | for applications referred to Patent Appeal Board before January 2011 and filed before March 1995 and for applications referred before April 2010 | 60% |
| Service | Commitment | Expectation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Issue filing date | Electronic application | within 4 business days upon receipt and meets filing requirements including fees | 90% |
| Paper application | within 7 business days upon receipt and meets filing requirements including fees | 90% | |
| Provide first action (approval or issue examiner's report) | within 6 months from filing date | 90% | |
| Respond to client correspondence received subsequent to a first action | within 4 months upon receipt of correspondence | 90% | |
| Register a trade-mark | Electronic registration | immediately | 100% |
| Upon receipt of paper request and fees | within 25 business days | 90% | |
| Service | Commitment | Expectation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule hearing date | Opposition | within 14 months upon receipt of request | 90% |
| Section 45 | within 14 months upon receipt of request | 90% | |
| Issue decision | Opposition | within 12 months upon referal for a non-hearing decision or within 4 months following hearing date | 90% |
| Section 45 | within 12 months upon referal for a non-hearing decision or within 4 months following hearing date | 90% | |
| Service | Commitment | Expectation |
|---|---|---|
| Issue filing date | within 3 weeks upon receipt of application that meets filing requirements | 90% |
| Provide first action (register or issue examiner's report) | within 8 months from filing date and receipt of fees | 90% |
| Service | Commitment | Expectation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Register a copyright | Electronic application | within 5 business days upon receipt and meets filing requirements including fees | 90% |
| Paper application | within 7 business days upon receipt and meets filing requirements including fees | 90% | |
| Service | Commitment | Expectation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Respond to general enquiries | Upon receipt by telephone | within 24 hours | 90% |
| Upon receipt by mail, email or fax | within 48 hours | 90% | |
| Provide access to an on-site information officer | within 10 minutes upon receipt of request | 90% | |
| Send CIPO publications | by mail within 48 hours upon receipt of request | 90% | |
| Send patent, trade-mark, copyright or industrial design documents | Not Certified copies | by mail or electronically (only patent documents are available electronically) within 72 hours upon receipt of request and fees | 90% |
| Certified copies | by mail within 72 hours upon receipt of request and fees | 90% | |
Service Standards Reports for 2009-2010 and 2010-2011
2010-2011
2009-2010
* The Patent Appeal Board is responsible for both patent and industrial design appeals.
** The Client Service Centre's business hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday; statutory holidays are excluded.
