On July 17, 2015, the Ministère de l'Économie, de l'Innovation et des Exportations announced the launch of its First Patent program. This program offers financial aid to Quebec-based SMEs wishing to protect their intellectual property assets.
Here is a summary of the program:
- Valid for patent applications, industrial design applications, and integrated circuit topography applications;
- Quebec-based companies having 250 employees or fewer are eligible;
- The financial aid will cover the
following:
- Patentability searches and opinions
- Validity and infringement opinions;
- Patent, industrial design, and integrated circuit topography applications in Canada and abroad;
- Professional services fees; and
- Filing fees
- The maximum amount is $25,000 per project, this amount covering up to 50% of expenses that are eligible under the program.
The Ministère's announcement states that acompany applying under the program cannot have previously filed a patent application or industrial design application. However, an official from the Ministère has informed us that a company that recently filed a first application for a patent, industrial design or integrated circuit topography may still be admissible to the program.
Here is the web page for the program (including the form for applying to the program): http://www.economie.gouv.qc.ca/index.php?id=20817.
A French version of this article can be found here.
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