ARCHIVED — CIPO Client Service Standards for 2009–2010

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CIPO Client Service Standards Report for 2009-2010 (PDF - 13,9 KB - 4 pages)

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The following highlights CIPO's performance, on average, against its client service standards for 2009–2010. Please note that in the areas that we underperformed by 10% or more, explanatory notes have been included.

Patent Branch

Examination - TATs
Services Client Service Standards Results
Percentage of inventory of applications with a request for examination waiting for a first office action Results by Mar 31, 2010 are:
80% of applications with a request for examination will be waiting for a first substantive office action less than (by specialty):
  • Biotechnology - 24 months
  • Electrical - 33 months
  • Mechanical - 18 months
  • Organic Chemistry - 21 months
  • General Chemistry - 21 months
  • Biotechnology -
    86%
  • Electrical - 86%
  • Mechanical - 86%
  • Organic Chemistry -
    93%
  • General Chemistry -
    88%

Patent Appeal Board

Patents and Industrial Designs
Services Client Service Standards Results Explanation
Oral hearing date By March 31, 2010:
oral hearing for applications referred to the PAB before January 2008		 100%
Decision issued by March 31, 2010:
80% of applications referred to the PAB before January 2008		 34% Changes in practices and jurisprudence have imposed additional steps and time required; further delays were encountered as high priority applications referred to the PAB after 2008 were reviewed.

Trade-marks Branch

Trade-marks
Services Client Service Standards Results
Approve acceptable applications or issue first examination reports within 6.5 months 6.4 months
Respond to client correspondence received subsequent to a first action within 4 months of receipt of correspondence 3.5 months

Trade-marks Opposition Board

Oral hearing date
Services Client Service Standards Results
Opposition within 14 months of receipt of request (no postponements) 12 months
Section 45 within 18 months of receipt of request 11 months
Decisions issued
Services Client Service Standards Results
Non-hearing Opposition within 11 months of file being ready for decision 9 months
Non-hearing section 45 within 13 months of file being ready for decision 10 months

Industrial Design Division

Industrial Designs
Services Client Service Standards Results
Issue filing certificate or issue report indicating industrial design application is incomplete within 3 weeks of receipt of application 2.2 weeks
Examine application to assess the registrability of the design; allow the design or issue first examiner's report within 9 months of the receipt of application 6.2 months

Copyright Office

Copyrights
Services Client Service Standards Results
Register a copyright and issue a certificate
- for applications received by mail within 7 working days of receipt of application and fees 6.2 days
- for applications filed electronically within 5 working days of receipt of application and fees 3 days
Register a grant of interest and issue a certificate for a copyright within 12 working days of receipt of application and fees 6.2 days

Client Service Centre (Information Branch)

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. Requests are processed within standards 90% of the time.

General Enquiries Services
Services Client Service Standards Results
Respond to telephone enquiries or voice mail immediately upon receipt or call will be returned within 24 hours 88.8%
Respond to general correspondence, email and fax requests within 48 hours upon receipt 88.8%
Provide access to an information officer (on site) within 10 minutes of their request 88.8%
Send intellectual property publications publications will be mailed within 48 hours 88.8%
Reproduction and Sales Section
Services Client Service Standards Results
Send photocopies of patent, trade-mark and copyright documents in paper or electronic form within 72 hours from receipt of request and with proof of payment 96.3%
Send certified copies of patent, trade-mark and copyright documents in paper form within 72 hours from receipt of request and with proof of payment 96.3%