Patent, Abandonment, Death and Resurection in Canada

2007-01-01

P
ATENTABANDONMENT,DEATHANDRESURECTIONINCANADA

JEREMYLAWSONANDROYMACHAALANY*
LEGER
ROBICRICHARD,LLP
L
AWYERS,PATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS
Onceapatentapplicationisfiled,itmustbekeptingoodstandingtopreservetheprospect
ofobtainingpatentprotectionfortheinvention.Likewise,onceapatentisgranteditmustbe
keptingoodstandingtobeenforceable.
InCanada,tokeepanapplicationorapatentingoodstanding,certainactionsmustbe
taken,suchaspayingfees,requestingexaminationandreplyingtoOfficeActionswithinthe
prescribedtimelimits.Relativelyspeaking,thePatentAct,R.S.C.1985,c.P-4andthe
PatentRules,S.O.R./96-423providestrictguidelinesandconsequencesforapplications
andpatentsthatfalloutofgoodstanding.
Apatentapplicationis“abandoned”whentheapplicantdoesnottakeactionbeforea
prescribeddeadline.
1However,thereisatwelve(12)monthwindowto“reinstate”the
application.Anabandonedapplicationthereforegoesthroughaperiodoflimbo,akindof
patent-purgatoryduringwhichitisnolongeringoodstandingbutmaybereinstated.An
applicationalsobecomesabandonedforeachfailuretoactandthusanapplicationmaybe
multiplyabandonedifanapplicant,forexample,doesnotrespondtoanOfficeActionand
doesnotpayamaintenancefee.Anapplicationmustthereforebereinstatedforeach
abandonment.Ifanapplicationisnotreinstatedintime,itbecomes“dead”.
An“expiredpatent”isonethathasbeenissuedandproperlymaintainedbuthasrunits
course.A“lapsed”patentisonewhichnolongergivesanypatentrightstothepatentee
becausetherequiredmaintenancefeeswerenotpaidintime.
Itisverydifficultto“resurrect”adeadapplicationoralapsedpatent.Canadiancourtshave
usedothertermssuchas“reincarnation”and“resuscitation”,tostressthatrecoveringsuch
lostpatentrightsisextremelydifficult.IntheUnitedStates,thereareclearproceduresfor
revivingpatentsthatare“unintentionally”or“unavoidably”abandoned.Thisisnotthecase
inCanada.PerhapstheforemostobstacletoresurrectionisthattheCanadianIntellectual
PropertyOffice(CIPO)hasnodiscretiontotakeintoaccountaccidentalmishapsresultingin
deadapplicationsorlapsedpatents.

©CIPS,2007.*WithLEGERROBICRICHARD,LLP.amultidisciplinaryfirmofLawyers,andPatentandTrade-mark
Agents.PublishedintheSummer2007Newsletterofthefirm(Vol.11,No.3).Publication068.084.
1Seesubsections73(1)and(2)ofthePatentAct,R.S.C.1985,c.P-4andsection97ofthePatent
Rules,S.O.R./96-423

2
Canadiancourtshaveconsideredthequestionofresurrection,butthecircumstancesdidnot
enablethemtojustifyresurrection.2Inattemptingtoresurrectpatentrightsthatwere
accidentallylost,patentholdershavearguedthatthePatentActmustbereadinlightofits
purposeandcontextaswellastheCommonLawprinciplesoffairness,legitimate
expectations,equityandestoppel,albeittonoavail.
TheintricaciesofCanadianabandonmentproceduresdemandahighdegreeofcareto
makesurethatvaluablepatentrightsstayingoodstanding.Patentholdersandtheirpatent
agentsarestronglyadvisedtokeepmeticulousrecordsandtakeextremecareintheir
docketingsystemsandresponsestoCIPO’srequisitions.Italsoseemsthatlegislative
amendmentswouldbenecessarytogiveCanadiancourtsorCIPOcleardiscretionto
resurrectapplicationsandpatents.

2SeeDutchIndustriesLtd.v.TheCommissionerofPatents,BartonNo-TillDiskIncand
Flexi-CoilLtd.,(C.A.)[2003]4F.C.67;PeterEibavs.TheAttorneyGeneralofCanada,
2004C.F.250,[2004]3F.C.R.416;HarryO.Wicksvs.TheCommissionerofPatents,2007
C.F.222;Hoffman-LaRochevs.TheCommissionerofPatents,(2003)F.C.1381;P.E.
FusionLLCvs.TheAttorneyGeneralofCanada,2004C.F.645

3
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