The 6 IP Elements You Need to Know About the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement

2014-01-06

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ABRIELLEMOISAN*
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Lauchingnegotiationsin2009,EuropeandCanadasignedatentativeagreementon
October18,2013towardstheratificationofaComprehensiveEconomicandTrade
Agreement(CETA)in2015.
With28memberstates,Europerepresentsatotalpopulationofover500millionand
isCanada’ssecond-largesttradingpartneringoodsandservices.

CETA’sobjectiveistofostertradebetweenEuropeandCanada,notablyintermsof
tradeliberalization,investmentprotection,publicprocurement,labormobility,
environmentandintellectualproperty.Withrespecttointellectualproperty,wemust
distinguishpatents,copyright,trademarks,geographicalindications,anti-
counterfeitingmeasuresandplantvarieties.
ThefinaltextofCETAhasnotyetbeenpublishedsincethetranslatedtextsrequired
bythe28MemberStatesmustfirstbeacceptedbyalltheparties,eachtexthaving
equalforceoflaw.ThisarticleisthusbasedonthetextspublishedbytheCanadian
governmentandtheEuropeanUnion,andsometextsthathavebeenleaked.

Geographicaldesignation:Europerequestedofficialrecognitionofitsgeographical
indicationsystemcoveringoveonehundredfoodproducts,suchasalcoholic
products,cheese,meatsandoils.Currently,registeredtrade-marksinCanada,
includingcertificationmarks,havepriority.However,Canadarecognizesafew
numberofgeographicalindicationsforEuropeanwinesandspirits.CETAwilladd
severalEuropeanproductstothelistofgeographicalindications,suchasGrana
Padano,Roquefortcheese,EliaKalamataolivesor”AcetobalsamicodiModena”
balsamicvinegar,notablyinassociationwiththeplaceoforigin,asthecommon
name(suchasAsiago,Feta,Fontina,Gorgonzola,Munster)willbecontinuetobe
usedinCanada,aloneorprecededby”kind”,”type”,”style”,etc.Inaddition,some
productswithgeographicalindicationsthatarewellknown,suchasProsciuttodi
ParmaandProsciuttodiSanDaniele,willfinallybemarketableundertheirnamein
Canada,whichwasnotthecaseforover20years-registrationofsuchmarksnot

©CIPS,2013.*FromROBIC,LLP,amultidisciplinaryfirmofLawyers,andPatentandTrade-markAgents.Published
intheWinter2013(Vol.17,no.3)Newsletterofthefirm.Publication068.170E.

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beingacceptedinviewofalreadyregisteredsomeCanadiantrademarks.
Interestingly,itisnotclearwhether,conversely,EuropewillrecognizeCanadian
geographicalindications.
Trademarksandindustrialdesigns:CETAcontainsacommitmentonbehalfof
Canadatomakeallpossibleeffortstocomplywithinternationalstandardsand
agreements,suchastheSingaporeTreaty,theProtocolRelatingtotheMadrid
AgreementandtheGenevaActoftheHagueAgreement.However,itdoesnot
appearthatCanadahascommittedtosignthesetreaties.

Anti-counterfeittrademarkandcopyrightlawfight:BillC-8iscurrentlybeforethe
CanadianParliamentandshouldmeettherequirementsofCETAonthispoint.

Copyrightlaw:AmendmentstotheCopyrightActin2012havealreadyhelpedto
harmonizeCanadianlawwithinternationaltreatiesofWIPO.NochangestotheAct
arerequiredbyCETA.
Patents:Theissuesaffectmainlythepharmaceuticalfield,regardingthedurationof
patentprotection,marketaccessforgenericcompaniesfollowingpatentexpiryand
dataprotection.Theeconomicstakesarehighsincegenericcompaniesprovide
lowercostsforpatientswhileinnovatorspromisemoreinvestmentinresearchand
developmentinCanada.
InCanadaandEurope,thetermofprotectiongrantedbyapatentis20yearsfrom
thefilingdate.However,inEurope,toovercomethelimitsimposedbyregulatory
requirements(clinicaltrials)formarketing,thedurationofpatentsinthe
pharmaceuticalfieldmaybeextendeduptofiveyearsthankstothesupplementary
protectioncertificate.Canadahascommittedtoimplementasimilarprocess;the
durationofwhichcouldnot,however,exceedtwoyears.Thecalculationwilltakeinto
accountthedateoffilingofthepatentapplicationandthedateoffirstmarketing
authorizationinCanada.Noretroactivitywillbeallowedtoproductsalreadysoldin
Canada.
InCanada,theNoticeofCompliance(“NOC”)requiredforauthorizationtomarketfor
thegenericisrelatedtopatentslistedintheRegister(“Patentlinkage”).Thegeneric
mustmentionintheNOCapplicationthatthepatentsrelatedtotheproductitwishes
toplaceonthemarketareeithernolongerinforceorareinvalid.Thetitleholderof
thesepatentsthenhas45daystoobjecttotheissuanceofanNOCbyHealth
Canadaforauthorizationtomarket.Asimplifiedandacceleratedprocedureisthen
initiated,ofamaximumoftwoyears,afterwhichthegenericcompanymayappeal,
butnottheinnovator.Inthecasewheretheinnovatorloses,hisonlyrecourseisto
filefurtherproceedingsincourt,accordingtotheusualprocedure,whichislonger.
Thiscouldresultinconflictingdecisionsforapatentinvolvingthesametwoparties:a
favorabledecisionforthegenericatfirstfollowedbyaseparatedecisionfavorableto
theinnovator.Inthemeantime,thegenericwillhaveenteredandtakenashareof
themarket.CETAwouldgrantarightofappealtotheinnovator.Withthisnew

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procedure,itisexpectedthattherewouldbelessconflictingdecisions,butitisnot
clearifthedurationoftheprocedurewouldstillbelimitedtotwoyears.

Discussionsalsofocusedonthedurationofprotectionaffordedtodatagatheredby
innovatorsintheirclinicaltrials.WhileinEuropethetermofprotectionistenyears,
Canadawillcontinuetoprovideeightyearsofmarketexclusivitytotheinnovator:a
six-yearperiodduringwhichanapplicationforagenericusingclinicdataconducted
bytheinnovatormaynotbefiledandanadditionalperiodoftwoyearsduringwhich
thegenericcompanymaycommenceproceedings,butcannotselltheproduct.Asix
monthprotectioncanalsobeaddedforpediatricindications.

PlantBreeder’sRights:CanadaisamemberoftheUPOVConvention(1978
version)butdoesnotseemtoberequiredtoratifythe1991versionunderCETA.
However,C-18Bill”anacttoamendcertainactsrelatingtoagricultureandagrifood”
hasjustbeenpresentedbeforetheHouseofCommonsonDecember9,2013and
containsamendmentstothePlantBreeders’RightsActtoamendcertainaspectsof
theplantbreeders’rightsgrantedunderthatAct,includingthedurationandscopeof
thoserightsandconditionsfortheprotectionofthoserights.Italsoprovidesfor
exceptionstotheapplicationofthoserightsandcodifiesthefarmers’privilege.

Conclusion

Hopefully,theprocessofratification,plannedfor2015,isnotdelayedbyissuesnot
addressedbytheCETA(theimpositionofvisastonationalsofcertainEUmember
states,thesealhunt,geneticallymodifiedorganisms(GMOs)).Ontheotherhand,it
isdesirablethatCanadanowmodifiesitsPatentActtoimplementtheagreement
andmakechangesnotrequiredbytheagreement,butexpectedbyCanadianusers,
includingtheharmonizationoftheutilityrequirement(thepromisedoctrineandthe
doctrineofsoundprediction)withothercountries.

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oforigin;copyrightandentertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,neighbouringrights;computer,

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