International filing strategies for biofuel patents

I
NTERNATIONALFILINGSTRATEGIESFORBIOFUELPATENTS

JEREMYLAWSON*
LEGERROBICRICHARD,
LLP
L
AWYERS,PATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS
Thereisnosuchthingasaninternationalpatent.Patentsaregrantedonacountry-by-
countrybasisandaresubjecttothelegalframeworkofthecountryofgrant.Whilefilingfor
patentsinmultiplecountriescanexpandthegeographicalprotectionofaninvention,this
strategymaycomewithaheftypricetagaspatentfeesmustbepaidforeachcountry.
Fortunately,thereisaninternationalfilingmechanismwherebyaninternationalpatent
applicationcanbefiledaccordingtotheprovisionsofthePatentCooperationTreaty(PCT).
ThePCT,whosemembershipincludesthevastmajorityoftheworld’sindustrializednations,
allowsthefilingofonlyoneapplicationwhilepostponingthetranslationsandallotherformal
requirementsofindividualcountriestoafuturedate.
Duringtheinternationalphase,theapplicantmayhammerouttechnicalkinksandseekout
commercialandfinancialavenuesforitsinvention,beforebringingthetechnologytomarket.
ThetimeextensionforenteringnationalphaseinCanadaisoneofthelongestintheworld.
Canadianlawpermitsanextensionofupto42monthsfromthePCTapplication’searliest
prioritydatetofilenationallyintheCanadianIntellectualPropertyOffice.
Ononehand,CanadiancompaniescanfilePCTapplicationstopreservetheoptionof
securingpatentcoverageinalargenumberofforeigncountriesinwhichtheirtechnology
mightbemade,usedorsold.Ontheotherhand,foreigncompaniescanfilePCT
applicationstoeventuallysecureprotectioninCanadafortheirinventions.
Togivetwobiofuelindustryexamples,GreenlineIndustries,LLC,awell-knownAmerican
manufacturerofbiodieselproductionequipment,hasrecentlyfiledaPCTapplicationforits
biodieselproductionmethod.Thismethodusesasingle-phasereactantmixturedevoidof
co-solventstoincreasethethroughputofesterificationreactions.ThisPCTapplicationis
currentlyintheinternationalphaseandthe42monthdeadlineforenteringCanadaisin
October2010.Thus,uncertaintyastowhetherGreenlinewillprotectitsinventioninCanada
couldexistforanotherfewyears.
BioxCorp.isaCanadianbiodieselfirmthatplanstobuildandoperateitsownbiodiesel
productionfacilities,suchastheoneoutsideHamilton,Ontario.BioxfiledaPCTapplication
in2001foritssingle-phasereactionusingaco-solventsuchastetrahydrofuran.Apanoply

©CIPS,2008.*OfLEGERROBICRICHARD,LLP,amultidisciplinaryfirmoflawyers,andpatentandtrade-marks
agents.TobepublishedinBiofuelsCanadaMagazine.Publication063.006.

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ofnationalphaseentrieswascompletedin2003andincludedCanada,Mexico,Japan,
Australia,SouthAfrica,NewZealand,ChinaandEurope.
GainingafewextrayearsviathePCTtomakefundamentalbusinessdecisionsisa
godsendformanyfirms.Later,individualcountriescanbechosenbasedonanynumberof
factors,suchaswherefeedstocks,processplants,marketsandcompetitorsarelocated.It
shouldalwaysbekeptinmindthatapatentallowsyoutostopothersfromusingyour
technologyandisalsoapieceofpropertythatcanbebought,sold,orlicensedwithinthe
bordersofitscountryofgrant.

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