Annual Report 2007-08

Strategic direction: Client services

• Patents
• Patent Appeal Board
• Trade-marks
• Trade-marks Opposition Board
• Copyrights
• Industrial designs
• Integrated circuit topographies
• Accessible, user-friendly products, services and processes
• Clear, consistent, accurate and comprehensive communications

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Accessible, user-friendly products, services and processes

In 2007–08, CIPO formally embarked on a multi-year EBR initiative that will transform the way the organization does business. EBR will result in improved products, services and processes for clients and employees, and enable CIPO to determine what is needed for CIPO to become a leading IPO.

CIPO implemented a governance structure for EBR, and planned the first steps of the initiative. These first steps involved developing a set of desired business outcomes to define a shared vision of success for EBR, and identifying 15 key opportunities that will address three short- and long-term priorities: process redesign, key information technology (IT) enablers and e-services.

EBR's new governance structure includes a Steering Committee, Program Management Team and External Advisory Group. One of the Steering Committee's first tasks was to endorse the documented requirements for formal project management and business analysis functions. By the end of the fiscal year many key roles for the Enterprise Business Renewal Office had been filled, including communications and change management, administrative support, and strategic IT. The development of business requirements and a business case for centralizing and integrating client information has been identified as a priority component of the EBR strategy.

Highlights

Another key focus for CIPO is enhancing its electronic services for clients to simplify their access to CIPO services. This year, with the completion of the Canadian Industrial Designs Database, in November 2007, clients have online access to the entire collection of 110 000 industrial designs registered in Canada since December 1861.

CIPO has adopted and deployed a web content management system and implemented Common Look and Feel (CLF 2.0) standards as it revamps its website to enhance the client's experience. The website includes several new design features that users will find helpful in navigating the site, including quick links to many popular pages for both CIPO and Industry Canada (IC), and easy access to information on specific CIPO branches.

Electronic access was also improved for information on patents, trade-marks and copyrights. Enhancements were made to the Canadian Patents Database to improve and expand its search and navigation capabilities. Users can now access images through a single click, and toggle between English and French on all pages from the database. Other useful features include information on when the database was last updated or modified, and the ability to view pages in a single browser window. Information on trade-marks opposition and active section 45 cases was also made available online through the Canadian Trade-marks Database. Electronic services for copyrights were also improved, enabling clients to attach documentation to the registration request.

To gather best practices intelligence and to recommend an approach in the areas of document information sharing, data exchange and e-services, CIPO continued to openly dialogue with other IPOs and attended such international conferences on dissemination, data exchange and e-services at the EPO Patent Information Conference (Europe) and the Patent Information User Group Conference (U.S.)

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Annual Report 2007-08
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