How to get your trademark application examined faster in Canada

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) announced in May 2021 several practices to improve timelines in examination.

One of these practices is significantly improving wait times in examination.

Wait times in examination for applications using exclusively goods and services descriptions which have been pre-approved by CIPO is significantly less – at present by about a year – than wait times in examination for applications not using pre-approved terms. CIPO provides information on dates of trademark applications currently in examination.

CIPO's Goods and Services Manual is designed to assist applicants in compiling the statements of goods or services required to file a Canadian trademark application. CIPO pre-approves all entries in the Manual and, if such pre-approved terms are included in an application, they will be accepted by CIPO without the need for further specification. While the Manual is not meant to be exhaustive, CIPO makes every effort to frequently update its content to keep abreast of the evolving marketplace.

Applicants can therefore shorten their time to examination by:

1. using exclusively pre-approved terms in new applications being filed
2. amending applications currently awaiting examination to select only pre-approved terms.

To take advantage of improved wait times in examination or how this practice affects your IP portfolio in Canada, please contact your Gowling WLG professional.

For other IP related resources, please visit our IP Law Hub, which is continuously being updated to assist you and your business.