Edward Fan Comments on the Canadian Government's Five-Year Plan to Promote and Protect Intellectual Property

Partner Edward Fan recently spoke to the Law Times in light of the government’s announcement that it intends to invest $85.3 million into the promotion and protection of intellectual property over the next five years.

Edward acknowledged that there had been discussions about IP strategy for months. He admitted, however, that the “particular announcement, in all of its forms, is a bit of a new thing.

“[T]he announcement is probably more sweeping than originally thought,” he continued.

Edward was backing the concern, expressed throughout the article, that although the proposed strategy’s ability to provide a positive framework for IP protection and promotion in Canada is commendable, there still exists a need for more concrete incentives for emerging businesses.

The strategy focuses on “updating IP legislation, creating tools and services to help companies grow, and increasing education and awareness of IP among businesses and the general public,” according to the Law Times.

Fan recognized the purpose behind these proposed changes, saying that they “are important to prevent activities that could harm intellectual property in Canada.

“As innovation becomes a larger part of jobs, it’s difficult to imagine the economy growing at a robust pace without a strategy devoted to IP,” he remarked.

He went on to provide an example, explaining that “the strategy’s proposed requirement that trademark holders prove a mark’s use within three years of registration is intended to prevent people from registering trademarks they don’t intend to use.

“This is particularly important because upcoming changes to the Trade-marks Act will allow people to register trademarks they are not currently using in Canada,” he added.

Edward, along with other members of our team, have provided more insight concerning Canada’s New Intellectual Property Strategy announcement.

Head to our relevant practice page to learn the latest about Intellectual Property.