IP Negotiations: Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) Canada-EU

2011-01-01

IPNEGOTIATIONS:COMPREHENSIVEECONOMICANDTRADE
AGREEMENT
(CETA)CANADA-EU

GABRIELLEMOSIAN*
ROBIC,
LLP
L
AWYERS,PATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS

Committedtoresistingprotectionistpressuresinchallengingeconomictimes,
CanadaandtheEuropeanUnion(EU)arenegotiatingtowardaComprehensive
EconomicandTradeAgreement(CETA).
Amongstseveralsubjects(includingmarketaccessingoods,rulesoforigin,
customsprocedures,regulatorycooperation,tradedefenceinstruments,trade
remedies,investmentandservices,financialservices,telecomsandelectronic
commerceandsustainabledevelopment),someaspectsofintellectualpropertyare
alsocovered.
Theobjectivesofthechapteronintellectualpropertyareto:
·facilitatetheproductionandcommercializationofinnovativeandcreative
productsandtheprovisionofservicesbetweenEuropeandCanada;and
·achieveanadequateandeffectivelevelofprotectionandenforcementof
intellectualpropertyrights.

TheIPissuesincludecopyright,trademarks(well-knowntrademarks,fair-use),
geographicalindications(whicharenotyetrecognizedinCanada),designs,trade
secretsandpatents.
Withrespecttopatents,significantissuesarerelatedtopharmaceuticalpatents.At
thistime,Canada;
·doesnotofferapatenttermextension(upto5years)beyondthe20-year
termofthepatent,asinEuropeandtheUS,tocompensatefordelaysinthe
regulatoryapprovalprocessforanewdrug,
·doesnotallowtheinnovatorstoappealacourtdecisionabouttheentranceof
agenericonthemarket,buttheoppositeisallowed:thegenericmay
challengeanegativedecision,and

©CIPS,2011.*FromROBIC,LLP,multidisciplinaryfirmofLawyers,andPatentandTrade-markAgents.Published
intheSpring2011(Vol.15,no.1)Newsletterofthefirm.Publication068.133E.

2
·doesnotoffermorethan8years(upto10)ofdataprotection,whetherthere
isapatentornot.

TheEuropeanUnionhasputtheseitemsontheiragendafordiscussion.

ThesixthroundofnegotiationswascompletedinJanuary2011.Twofurtherrounds
ofnegotiationshavebeenscheduledforAprilandJuly2011,inOttawaandBrussels
respectively.Theaimisnowtoconcludein2011.However,asfederalelections
havebeenheldthisspringinCanada,thereisariskthatthesenegotiationswillbe
suspended.
Furthermore,FrançoisPainchaudcommentedontheseEUandCanadatradetalks
intheApril2011issueofLESViewpoints.Thearticleisavailableat
http://newsletter.www.robic.ca/documents/Francois_Painchaud_LES_Viewpoints_April%2
0_2011.pdf

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.
COPYRIGHTER
IDEASLIVEHERE
ILATOUTDEMÊMEFALLUL’INVENTER!
LAMAÎTRISEDESINTANGIBLES

3
LEGERROBICRICHARD
NOSFENÊTRESGRANDESOUVERTESSURLEMONDEDESAFFAIRES
PATENTER
R
ROBIC
ROBIC+DROIT+AFFAIRES+SCIENCES+ARTS
ROBIC++++
ROBIC+LAW+BUSINESS+SCIENCE+ART
THETRADEMARKERGROUP
TRADEMARKER
VOSIDÉESÀLAPORTÉEDUMONDE,DESAFFAIRESÀLAGRANDEURDE
LAPLANÈTE
YOURBUSINESSISTHEWORLDOFIDEAS;OURBUSINESSBRINGSYOUR
IDEASTOTHEWORLD
Trade-marksofROBIC,
LLP(“ROBIC”)