CETA – What Does It Mean For IP In Canada?

Introduction

Almost a year following an agreement-in-principle between Canada and the European Union, the official full text of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) was released September 26, 2014. The 1500 page Agreement reflects most of what was previously articulated by the Canadian government in a summary produced after the agreement-in-principle. In the domain of intellectual property CETA stands to impact pharmaceuticals with respect to patent term restoration, appeal rights and data protection, as well as trademarks with respect to counterfeit goods and EU Geographical Indications.

With the text formally released, Canada and the EU member nations will now undertake measures to ratify the treaty. This is a process that has become more complex amid media reports that Germany still opposes certain sections of the Agreement. Regardless, there remains a long road before CETA is officially ratified, as each of the parties