Accelerated Procedure for Patent Applications in Canada

In a fast-paced innovation environment, improving the speed of patent examination has become the key for enterprises to maintain their competitive advantage. The Canadian Patent Office (CIPO) provides three ways to accelerate patent examination: special orders for patent examination, Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH), and applications related to environmental protection technology. This article will analyze these procedures in detail to help you better optimize your patent application strategy.

Special orders for patent examination:

• After the application is published, the applicant may apply for accelerated examination by paying the prescribed fee and submitting a written request. In addition, the applicant needs to declare that if the application is not processed earlier from the regular order, it will adversely affect the applicant's rights or the rights of third parties. If the applicant requests any extension during the examination process, the application will be rescheduled back to the regular examination order.

Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH):

• If the corresponding foreign patent application has been granted by the country of first examination, then the Canadian application is eligible for PPH. The applicant needs to submit a PPH request and related PPH forms after the application is published but before the Canadian substantive examination begins.

Applications related to environmental protection technology:

• Applicants can apply for expedited review by submitting a statement that the application "involves technologies whose commercialization will help address or mitigate environmental impacts or protect the natural environment and resources." If an applicant requests an extension of time during the review process, the application will be re-placed in the regular order.

By properly applying these accelerated procedures of the Canadian Patent Office, companies can achieve patent protection more quickly and gain greater technological advantages in the market.