The Biodiesel Patent Landscape in Canada

2007-01-01

T
HEBIODIESELPATENTLANDSCAPEINCANADA

J
EREMYLAWSON,ZHENWONG&AUDREYBALTADJIAN*
LEGERROBICRICHARD,
LLP
L
AWYERS,PATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS

Inrecentyears,soaringenergypricesandagrowingawarenessofthe
environmentalimpactsoffossilfuelusehavemadethequestforalternativeformsof
fuelmoreurgentthanever.
BiodieselhasbeenamongtheleadingproposedbiofuelsolutionsinCanadaand
abroad.DespiteCanada’sdelayedemergenceontothebiodieselsceneincontrast
toitsmorematureindustrycounterpartsintheUnitedStatesandEurope,Canadian
biodieselresearchandproductionhasgrowntremendouslyoverthepastfewyears.
Asbiodieselresearchactivitygainsmomentumsodoesthepatentingscenewithin
theindustry.
Whatarepatents?
Apatentgivesanexclusivemonopolyrightforaninventioninagiventerritoryso
longastheinventionsatisfiesthreebasiccriteria:novelty,non-obviousnessand
utility.Apatentownerthushastherighttoexcludeothersfrommaking,using,
sellingandconstructingitsinventionforamaximumoftwentyyearsfromthepatent
applicationfilingdate.
Apatentableinventioncanbeaproduct,processorcompositionofmatteraswellas
anewuseofanoldproduct.Patentsareimportantforstimulatingresearchand
developmentbyprovidinganeconomicincentivetotheinventor.Companiesrelyon
patentstoprotectandvalorizetheirresearchefforts.
Onemechanismofassertingapatentrightissuingfordamagesoraninjunctionin
casesofinfringement.Patentinfringementoccursifsomeonemakes,uses,
constructsorsellstheinvention,withoutthepatentowner’spermission,duringthe
termofthepatent.

©CIPS,2007.*AllofLEGERROBICRICHARD,LLP,amultidisciplinaryfirmoflawyers,andpatentandtrade-marks
agents.CondensedversionpublishedintheOctober/November2007issueofBiofuelsCanada
Magazine(Vol.1,No.2).Publication063.001.

2
ThePatentOfficeofCanadamaintainsadatabasewhereinterestedpartiescan
searchfortechnologiesthatareprotectedbypatentsintheircountryofinterest.
PatentsintheBiodieselIndustry
“Biodieselpatents”refertopatentsandapplicationsthatpertaintoprocesses,
improvedcompositions,usesandapparatusesusedintheproductionoruseof
biodiesel.
Fromtheearlydaysofsimpletransesterificationforexample,therehavebeen
considerableadvancementsmadeintheproductionofbiodiesel.In1937,a
landmarkpatentonbiodieselwasgrantedtoGeorgeChavannefor’Procedurefor
thetransformationofvegetableoilsfortheiruseasafuel’,inBelgium(patentNo.
422,877).Thispatentdescribedandclaimedthetransesterificationofvegetableoils
usingshortalkylalcoholsinthepresenceofastrongacidproducedalkylesters.
Today,thisoldertechnologyhasbecomepartofthepublicdomain.Sincethis
landmarkpatent,manyimprovementshavebeenmadeandmanypatent
applicationshavebeenfiledinanattempttoobtainanexclusiverighttothose
improvements.
PatentinginCanada.
Overtheyears,therehasbeenasignificantincreaseintheamountofapplications
forpatentsrelatingtobiodiesel.Inaddition,thesepatentapplicationsaremostly
gearedtowardsimprovedprocessesforproducingbiodiesel.
ThesignificantincreaseinthenumberofpatentfilingsinCanadapointstothe
importantvaluebeingplacedonbiodieselresearchactivity.Asproductiondemands
grow,spurredonbygovernmentregulationsandmarketpressures,sotoowillthe
needformoreefficientproductionmethods.Producersandresearchersshouldbe
awareofpatentingasanexcellentwayofestablishingastrategicfootholdina
growingfield.Moreover,withtheproliferationofbiodieselpatents,producersshould
ensurethattheirprocessesandcompositionsdonotinfringeonexistingorpending
patents.
Significantpatentactivityinthefieldofbiodieselhasalsobeenobservedinforeign
jurisdictionssuchasEuropeandtheUnitedStates.Indeed,patentsareandwill
continuetobesoughtwhereverbiodieselismade,usedorsold.Thebiodiesel
patentlandscapewillcontinuetoevolvehandinhandwiththescienceand
economicsofbiodiesel.

3

4
ROBIC,ungrouped’avocatsetd’agentsdebrevetsetdemarquesde
commercevouédepuis1892àlaprotectionetàlavalorisationdela
propriétéintellectuelledanstouslesdomaines:brevets,dessinsindustrielset
modèlesutilitaires;marquesdecommerce,marquesdecertificationet
appellationsd’origine;droitsd’auteur,propriétélittéraireetartistique,droits
voisinsetdel’artisteinterprète;informatique,logicielsetcircuitsintégrés;
biotechnologies,pharmaceutiquesetobtentionsvégétales;secretsde
commerce,know-howetconcurrence;licences,franchisesettransfertsde
technologies;commerceélectronique,distributionetdroitdesaffaires;
marquage,publicitéetétiquetage;poursuite,litigeetarbitrage;vérification
diligenteetaudit.ROBIC,agroupoflawyersandofpatentandtrademark
agentsdedicatedsince1892totheprotectionandthevalorizationofall
fieldsofintellectualproperty:patents,industrialdesignsandutilitypatents;
trademarks,certificationmarksandindicationsoforigin;copyrightand
entertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,neighbouringrights;computer,
softwareandintegratedcircuits;biotechnologies,pharmaceuticalsand
plantbreeders;tradesecrets,know-how,competitionandanti-trust;
licensing,franchisingandtechnologytransfers;e-commerce,distributionand
businesslaw;marketing,publicityandlabelling;prosecutionlitigationand
arbitration;duediligence.
COPYRIGHTER
IDEASLIVEHERE
ILATOUTDEMÊMEFALLUL’INVENTER!
LAMAÎTRISEDESINTANGIBLES
LEGERROBICRICHARD
NOSFENÊTRESGRANDESOUVERTESSURLEMONDEDESAFFAIRES
PATENTER
R
ROBIC
ROBIC+DROIT+AFFAIRES+SCIENCES+ARTS
ROBIC++++
ROBIC+LAW+BUSINESS+SCIENCE+ART
THETRADEMARKERGROUP
TRADEMARKER
VOSIDÉESÀLAPORTÉEDUMONDE,DESAFFAIRESÀLAGRANDEURDELA
PLANÈTE
YOURBUSINESSISTHEWORLDOFIDEAS;OURBUSINESSBRINGSYOURIDEASTO
THEWORLD