Strategic Plan 2007-2012 (page 4 of 12)
Strategic Plan 2007-2012 (PDF – 7.3 MB – 23 pages)
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2. About CIPO
Mandate
To deliver quality and timely intellectual property (IP) products and services to its clients, and to increase the awareness, knowledge and effective use of IP by Canadians.
Vision
To be a leading IP office recognized for excellence in our products and services and for strengthening Canada's innovative capacity through ongoing quality improvement, continuous development of our employees and adherence to our values.
Mission
To accelerate Canada's economic development by:
- Fostering the use of the IP system and the exploitation of IP information;
- Encouraging invention, innovation and creativity in Canada;
- Administering the IP system in Canada; and
- Promoting Canada's international IP interests.
Values
- Integrity
- Fairness
- Respect
- Efficiency
- Trust
- Quality
- Continuous Improvement
2.1 An Overview
CIPO is Canada's IPO. As a Special Operating Agency (SOA) of Industry Canada, CIPO grants IP rights within an IP administrative framework made up of legislation, regulations and office practices. IP right holders, in return, agree to the disclosure of information about their IP rights.
Specifically, CIPO is responsible for the granting or registering of patents, trade-marks, copyrights, industrial designs, and integrated circuit topographies.
Patents cover new inventions (process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter), or any new and useful improvement of an existing invention.
Trade-marks are words, symbols or designs (or a combination of these), used to distinguish the wares or services of one person or organization from those of others in the marketplace.
Copyrights provide protection for artistic, dramatic, musical or literary works (including computer programs), as well as for performer's performance, sound recordings and communication signals.
Industrial designs are the visual features of shape, configuration, pattern or ornament (or any combination of these features), applied to a finished article of manufacture.
Integrated circuit topographies refer to the three-dimensional configurations of electronic circuits embodied in integrated circuit products or layout designs.
CIPO also has responsibilities for building awareness of the IP regime, of its products and services, and of the benefits that can be gained from the strategic use of IP. As well, the organization is active internationally and provides collaborative support to Industry Canada's Strategic Policy Sector and other government players in the development of federal IP policies and positions. In particular, CIPO plays a lead role in IP administrative policy development. Together, all of these activities support CIPO's mandate and mission.
CIPO is a larger mid-sized IPO in the international IPO community, with more than 900 employees involved in delivering its IP products and services, supporting effective use of IP and policy development, and in providing the associated planning and support. This represents a 37 percent increase since 2001, reflecting a significant growth in capacity and capability across the organization, mainly in the area of examination. CIPO's employees range from IP examiners and operational staff to specialists in information management, dissemination and communications, outreach, policy, planning, program development, information technology, finance, human resources and administration.
As an SOA, CIPO provides products and services on a fee-for-service basis, and manages revenues and costs within a Revolving Fund. The Revolving Fund is an ongoing funding authority for revenue respending that provides a financial management structure similar to that of a private business. CIPO maintains a sound financial footing, as a result of prudent financial management within the Revolving Fund.
2.2 Where we are today as an IPO
CIPO's 2001 strategic plan, entitled "Positioning CIPO for Service and Success in the Future", was key to putting in place a strong foundation for CIPO to build upon for these next five years. With the 2001 plan, CIPO pursued a build-up phase from 2001 to 2006 with the following specific objectives:
- build internal functional capacity to meet the highest standards of IP excellence and service;
- build a strong cadre of experienced and networked employees expert in working at various international levels; and
- amend practices and rules to be ready to adopt international consensus norms consistent with Canadian interests.
We have realized a number of significant accomplishments against the targets set out in 2001. These accomplishments provide strong building blocks for the future, in particular:
- improved operations, especially in the area of turnaround times (TATs), and in the management of work-in-progress inventories;
- a greater international presence since gaining International Search Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examination Authority (IPEA) status in 2004;
- a strong focus on the client for rights granting and information products and services, and a maturing Client Relationship Management program emphasizing ongoing, systematic client listening and learning processes; and
- a growing organizational capability both in the number of staff and in their expertise and experience, along with the development of internal leadership capacity through CIPO's Leadership Development Program and an enhanced corporate communications capacity.
In pursuing this build-up phase, CIPO undertook additional efforts to modernize and improve operations and systems in order to better serve clients and support government priorities. In 2006, individual improvement projects were integrated in a business needs-driven, corporate-wide transformation initiative, called Enterprise Business Renewal (EBR). Over the next five years, EBR will be guided by this strategic plan, and be a major vehicle for advancing the results committed to in the plan.
While we are proud of our accomplishments, we will sustain and build upon them, as we move the change agenda forward.