Perform Searches
On CIPO's
Web site, you may now use the Canadian
Patents Database to do a preliminary on-line search of patent bibliographical
information and have access to descriptions and image documents on patents
issued in Canada since 1920. Patent
applications published in Canada are also available since October
1989. Patent searches can be conducted using key words in the title, the
name of the inventor, owner or applicant, the international
or Canadian Patent Classification, the Patent
Cooperation Treaty (PCT) information and the abstract or claims text.
It is also possible to search specific documents like PCT documents, non-PCT
documents or licence availability. Additional patent documents (e.g. United
States patents) and search tools (e.g. TechSource
workstations allowing you to use a search and retrieval component, called
Inquire/Text) are currently available in CIPO's
Patent Search Room in Gatineau, Quebec.
Foreign Patent Links
On CIPO's Web site, you can also search the Canadian
Trade-marks Database and the Canadian
Copyrights Database.
The Canadian Trade-marks Database is comprised of all active and many
inactive marks that were either applied for or registered pursuant
to the current Trade-marks Act or former trade-mark legislation.
The database
also includes other trade-marks and additional words and designs
that are not by definition trade-marks. The complete content description
of the database may be found on CIPO's Web site under the Help
section of the Trade-marks Database. To learn how to conduct a search and to
find out about the importance of trade-marks to business, visit
the Trade-marks Database tutorial.
The Canadian Copyrights Database includes all copyrights that were
registered as of October 1, 1991, pursuant to the Copyright Act. In some cases, registrations prior to 1991 were entered into the database due to requests for certified copies. This includes traditional copyrights
(original literary, artistic, dramatic and musical works) and copyright in
other subject matter (performer's performances, sound recordings
and communication
signals), as well as information on licences and assignments.
A search of all Canadian industrial designs may be performed in CIPO's
Industrial Design Division, in Gatineau, Quebec.
Note that it is also useful to search other on-line
IP databases(e.g. databases provided by the United
States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) or the European
Patent Office (EPO). SMEs should also be aware of other IP search
services and value-added information available from private providers.
An IP search is useful not only to see if it's worth obtaining IP protection
but to help you detect or avoid IP
infringement. It also has other important
benefits as mentioned below.
Next: In my area of interest >
|