Wider Horizons

new patent applicationSo, you've built that better mousetrap, solved the puzzle of perpetual motion, or created the next great Christmas fad. You might want to consider obtaining a patent to protect your invention.

First, your creation must meet three criteria: it must be unique, useful and inventive. Beyond that, your imagination is your only restriction.

A Canadian patent rewards ingenuity and grants you exclusive rights to your invention for 20 years. However, be aware the information you include in your patent application will be made public 18 months after you file. This disclosure allows industry and educational institutions to conduct research on your creation.

Of the 5.4 million patents in force globally, 150,000 are Canadian. Interestingly, of all applications filed, 90 per cent are for improvements to existing inventions; hence, the “better” mousetrap. There are patents for the mundane (automotive floor mats) and the miraculous (medicine for congestive heart failure).

Patents can include processes, such as methods for teaching mathematics. Some are beyond common understanding, such as a patent for “methods of forming amorphous ultra-high molecular weight polyalphaolefin drag-reducing agents.”

Others, not so much: “double chip sauce delivery system.” The Canadian Intellectual Property Office recommends using a patent agent to help you complete your application. Wording can be tricky and time is of the essence: Canadian patents are awarded to the person who files first.

Applications should be sent to:

The Commissioner of Patents
The Canadian Intellectual Property Office
Place du Portage Phase I
50 Victoria Street,
Gatineau, Que.
K1A 0C9

For more information, visit: cipo.ic.gc.ca

Wider Horizons
Lethbridge College
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