Financial Support for Green Technology Patents
FINANCIALSUPPORTFORGREENTECHNOLOGYPATENTS
JEAN-FRANÇOISJOURNAULT*
ROBIC,
LLP
L
AWYERS,PATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS
Quebecentrepreneursof”green”technologieswillbepleasedtolearnthatanew
financialsupportprogramforcompaniesdevelopingandimplementingtechnologies
thatcontributetolimitingdamagestotheenvironmentisnowavailable.
ThisQuebecprogramcomplementsotherprogramsthatwerepreviouslyavailable
foremergingenergies(EnergyInnovationAssistanceProgram(PAIE)andreducing
greenhousegasemissions(“GHG”,Technoclimat®).
GreenTechnologiesDemonstrationProgram(GTDP)
ThenewprogramcalledGreenTechnologyDemonstrationProgram(GTDP)is
availabletoQuebeccorporationsthathavedeveloped,adaptedorhaverightsinan
innovativemethodoremergingtechnology.
Only”demonstrations”focusedonthedevelopmentortheadaptationofnew
processesornewtechnologieswithcommercialpotential,andtheuseofwhich
offersasolutiontodamagescausedtowater,air,soilorissuesrelatedtowasteor
residualmaterialsmanagement,areeligibleforthisprogram.Thisincludes
demonstrationsaimedatthedetectionandmeasurementofcontaminants.
“Demonstration”refertotheimplementationoftheprocessortechnologyinorderto
testitinrealsituations.Thisstepgenerallytakesplacebetweentheresearchand
developmentstageandthecommercializationstage.
Fortheselectedprojects,theprogramprovidesacontributionthatcoversupto50%
ofeligibleexpenses,subjecttoalimitofonemilliondollars,andforamaximum
demonstrationperiodof36months.Expensesdirectlyrelatedtotheexecutionofthe
demonstration,andincurredduringthefixedperiod,willbeconsideredasaneligible
expense.
©CIPS,2011.*FromROBIC,LLP,multidisciplinaryfirmofLawyers,andPatentandTrade-markAgents.Published
intheSpring2011(Vol.15,no.1)Newsletterofthefirm.Publication068.132E.
2
Suchexpensesincludethecostsrelatedtotheapplicationandtheallowanceofa
patent,alicensetomanufactureoraknow-howlicense(thisincludesbothregulatory
feesandtheassociatedprofessionalservices).
ItisimportanttonotethattechnologiesaimedatreducingGHGarenoteligiblefor
thisprogram.However,anapplicantseekingtoobtainpatentprotectionoralicence
inconnectionwithanytechnologyrelatedtothisareacanhaveaccesstothe
Technoclimat®program.
OtherAvailableProvincialPrograms
Otherprogramsaimedatprovidingfinancialassistanceforthedevelopmentorthe
establishmentof“green”technologiesarealsoavailable.Thetablebelowprovides
anoverviewoftheavailableprovincialprogramsinordertoalloweasycomparison
ofthelatter.
AvailableProvincialPrograms
Nameofthe
programTypeof
activitiesStateof
developmentEligible
expenses
relatedtoIPEligible
amount
Green
Technologies
Demonstration
Program
(GTDP)
Website
(availablein
Frenchonly)Newprocesses
ornew
technologies(or
theiradaptation)
whoseuse
providesa
solutionto
damages
causedto
water,air,soil
orproblems
relatedtowaste
orresidual
materials
management.DemonstrationCostsrelated
tothe
application
andthe
allowanceofa
patent,a
licenseto
manufacture
oraknow-how
license.Maximum
of50%of
eligible
expenses.
Maximum
limitof
$1Mper
project.
Energy
Innovation
Assistance
Program(PAIE)
WebsiteProjects
concerning
innovative
technologiesor
processes
relatingtothe
areasofenergy
efficiencyor
emerging
energies,and
thatarepartof
asustainable
development
perspective.
Manystages
targeted:
R&D
Experimentation
Demonstration
Measurement
Pre-marketing
Valuation&
Transfer
Dissemination.
Costsrelated
tothe
application
andthe
allowanceofa
patent,a
licenseto
manufacture
oraknow-how
license.Variable
according
tothetype
ofactivity.
(seetable)
Asingle
project
may
receive
fundingfor
several
distinct
activities.
Maximum
limitof
$1Mper
project.
3
Green
technologies
demonstration
programaiming
toreduce
greenhouse
gasemissions
(Technoclimat
®)
Main
Component
Website
Innovativeand
emerging
technologies
createdinthe
provinceof
Quebec(and
thoseaimedat
adapting
existing
technology).
DemonstrationCostsrelated
tothe
application
andthe
allowanceofa
patent,a
licenseto
manufacture
oraknow-how
license.Maximum
of50%of
eligible
expenses.
Maximum
limitof
$3Mper
project.
Green
technologies
demonstration
programaiming
toreduce
greenhouse
gasemissions
(Technoclimat
®)
Second
component
Website
Proven
technologyfor
reducingGHG,
currently
experiencing
weakorno
market
presencein
Quebec.
Testing
Validation
Legalcosts
incurredin
enteringintoa
distribution
agreementor
a
manufacturing
license.Maximum
of50%of
eligible
expenses.
Maximum
limitof
$1Mper
project.
Valorization
andTransfer
Support
Program
(VTSP)
Support
componentfor
technology
maturation
Website
(availablein
Frenchonly)Universities,
university
healthcare
centersand
publicresearch
centersmeeting
theadmission
criteria.
Technology
maturation
Costsrelated
tothe
protectionof
intellectual
property.
Maximum
of80%of
eligible
expenses.
Maximum
limitof
$700000
per
project.
Economic
ProjectSupport
Program
(PSPE)
Product
development
component
Website
(availablein
Frenchonly)Product
development
projectswhere
theproducthas
aninnovative
natureand
shows
commercial
potential.
Theproduct
mustmeetat
leastoneofthe
objectivesset
forthis
program,oneof
thembeingthe
reductionof
environmental
damage.
Foraprojectto
beeligible,the
eligible
expensesmust
bebetweenProduct
development
planning
Producttesting
Product
validation
Productlaunch
Costsrelated
tothe
application
andallowance
ofapatentor
tothe
protectionof
intellectual
property.Variable
according
tothe
fundingof
the
particular
project.
4
$250000and
$2M.
(Forprojects
witheligible
expenses
exceeding$2M,
seeStrategic
Supportfor
Investment
Program(PASI)
fromInvestment
Quebec).
Economic
ProjectSupport
Program
(PSPE)
Investment
component
Website
(availablein
Frenchonly)
Investment
projectsaimed
atcreatinga
newbusinessor
theexpansion
(including
modernization)
ofanexisting
business.
Foraprojectto
beeligible,the
eligible
expensesmust
bebetween
$250000and
$5M.
(Forprojects
witheligible
expenses
exceeding$5M,
seeStrategic
Supportfor
Investment
Program(PASI)
fromInvestment
Quebec).Costsrelated
tothe
acquisitionof
patentsor
othersimilar
expenses.Variable
according
tothe
fundingof
the
particular
project.
LimitationsApplicabletoAllPrograms
Thosewhowishtoobtainfinancialassistancemust
completetheapplicationfor
financialassistancebeforeincurringthecoststheywanttohavereimbursed.Indeed,
reasonableandjustifiableexpensesrelatedtotheproject,butincurredpriortothe
dateofthereceiptoftheapplication-whichwouldnormallybeeligibleexpenses-
areexpresslyexcluded.Theperiodcoveredbytheseprogramsisspreadovera
maximumof36monthsinallcases.
Inaddition,anapplicantcannotgenerallybenefitfrommorethanoneofthe
programslistedaboveatonce.Theonlyexceptiontothisruleisthecombinationof
theGTDPprogramandthePAIEprogram,whichappearstoremaintheoretically
possible.
AdditionalInitiatives
5
Otherprovincialinitiativesalsoexistpertainingtothecommercializationof
intellecutalpropretyassets,suchasataxholidayonincome,foraperiodoften
years,forcorporationsthatmeetthedefinitionofnewcorporationsdedicatedtothe
commercializationofintellectualpropertydevelopedinQuebecuniversitiesand
publicresearchcentersinQuebec(thedetailsofthetaxmeasure,inFrenchonly,
canbefound
athttp://www.mdeie.gouv.qc.ca/bibliotheques/programmes/mesures-
fiscales/conge-dimpot-sur-le-revenu-pour-une-nouvelle-societe-dediee-a-la-
commercialisation-dune-propriete-intellectuelle/).
Somefederalprogramsarealsoavailableforthefundingof“green”technologies.
ThemainprogramsarefromtheSustainableDevelopmentTechnologyCanada
(SDTC)TechFund™andtheNextGenBiofuelsFund™.Unfortunately,thesefunds
donotincludeexpensesrelatedtotheacquisitionofintellectualpropertyrights
amongtheireligibleexpenses.
Ifyouthinkyouareeligibleforoneoftheprogramsdescribedabove,pleasecontact
oneofouragentsatROBICorconsultthedetailsandthecriteriaoftheappropriate
programbyvisitingthepreviouslyindicatedrelatedInternetsite.Intheeventthat
youmeettherequiredcriteria,weencourageyoutosubmitanapplicationfor
financialassistancefortheprograminquestionassoonaspossible.
ROBIC,ungrouped’avocatsetd’agentsdebrevetsetdemarquesdecommerce
vouédepuis1892àlaprotectionetàlavalorisationdelapropriétéintellectuelle
danstouslesdomaines:brevets,dessinsindustrielsetmodèlesutilitaires;marques
decommerce,marquesdecertificationetappellationsd’origine;droitsd’auteur,
propriétélittéraireetartistique,droitsvoisinsetdel’artisteinterprète;informatique,
logicielsetcircuitsintégrés;biotechnologies,pharmaceutiquesetobtentions
végétales;secretsdecommerce,know-howetconcurrence;licences,franchiseset
transfertsdetechnologies;commerceélectronique,distributionetdroitdesaffaires;
marquage,publicitéetétiquetage;poursuite,litigeetarbitrage;vérificationdiligente
etaudit.ROBIC,agroupoflawyersandofpatentandtrademarkagentsdedicated
since1892totheprotectionandthevalorizationofallfieldsofintellectualproperty:
patents,industrialdesignsandutilitypatents;trademarks,certificationmarksand
indicationsoforigin;copyrightandentertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,
neighbouringrights;computer,softwareandintegratedcircuits;biotechnologies,
pharmaceuticalsandplantbreeders;tradesecrets,know-how,competitionandanti-
trust;licensing,franchisingandtechnologytransfers;e-commerce,distributionand
businesslaw;marketing,publicityandlabelling;prosecutionlitigationandarbitration;
duediligence.
6
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