Intellectual Property In Canada: Protecting And Enforcing Your IP Assets

Who this is for: GCs, CTOs, brand managers, and IP counsel at foreign companies entering the Canadian market, licensing technology into or out of Canada, acquiring Canadian businesses with IP portfolios, or filing patents, trademarks, or copyright registrations in Canada.

The assumption that costs foreign IP owners the most: Foreign companies entering Canada most commonly make three IP mistakes: they assume their U.S. or European trademark registrations protect them in Canada. They do not, as Canada requires a separate filing and the registration system changed significantly in 2019; they assume their U.S. patent portfolio covers their Canadian operations. It does not, as Canadian patents must be obtained separately, claim construction differs, and the 2026 Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) guidance on software and AI patentability diverges materially from U.S. practice); and they assume copyright works the same way as at home. It largely does, but moral rights, which