College of Patent Agents and Trademark Agents Regulations (SOR/2021-129)

Definition

Marginal note:Definition of Act

1 In these Regulations, Act means the College of Patent Agents and Trademark Agents Act.

Committees

Marginal note:Conditions for Investigations Committee and Discipline Committee members

2 The majority of the members of the Investigations Committee and of the Discipline Committee, established under subsection 21(1) of the Act, must be individuals who

• (a) are not licensees; and

• (b) are not employed by a department, as defined in section 2 of the Financial Administration Act.

Marginal note:Committee administering licensing requirements

3 The committee of the College that is established to administer the requirements, including a qualifying exam, that are to be met in order to obtain a licence under section 26 or 29 of the Act must

• (a) be composed of individuals who may be removed at pleasure by the Board;

• (b) not include any individual who is a member of an association the primary purpose of which is to represent the interests of persons who provide advice on patents or trademarks;

• (c) include a representative from the Patent Office and the Office of the Registrar of Trademarks; and

• (d) be subject to a conflict of interest policy established by the Board.

Patent Agent Licence

Marginal note:Applicant for patent agent licence — requirements

4 For the purposes of subsection 26(1) of the Act, an individual who makes an application for a patent agent licence must

• (a) be resident in Canada; and

• (b) meet the requirements for an applicant for such a licence, as set out in the by-laws made by the Board or the College, including requirements with respect to

  • (i) training,

  • (ii) qualifying examinations,

  • (iii) good character and fitness to practise, and

  • (iv) fees.

Marginal note:Patent agent licence — conditions

5 A patent agent licence is subject to the following conditions:

• (a) the licensee must be resident in Canada; and

• (b) the licensee must meet the requirements for a holder of a patent agent licence, as set out in the by-laws made by the Board or the College, including requirements with respect to

  • (i) training,

  • (ii) good character and fitness to practise, and

  • (iii) fees.

Marginal note:Applicant for patent agent in training licence — requirements

6 For the purposes of subsection 26(2) of the Act, an individual who makes an application for a patent agent in training licence must

• (a) be resident in Canada; and

• (b) meet the requirements for an applicant for such a licence, as set out in the by-laws made by the Board or the College, including requirements with respect to

  • (i) education,

  • (ii) good character and fitness to practise,

  • (iii) fees, and

  • (iv) the provision of administrative forms.

Marginal note:Patent agent in training licence — conditions

7 A patent agent in training licence is subject to the following conditions:

• (a) the licensee must be resident in Canada; and

• (b) the licensee must meet the requirements for a holder of a patent agent in training licence, as set out in the by-laws made by the Board or the College, including requirements with respect to

  • (i) training,

  • (ii) good character and fitness to practise, and

  • (iii) fees.

Trademark Agent Licence

Marginal note:Applicant for trademark agent licence — requirements

8 For the purposes of subsection 29(1) of the Act, an individual who makes an application for a trademark agent licence must

• (a) be resident in Canada; and

• (b) meet the requirements for an applicant for such a licence, as set out in the by-laws made by the Board or the College, including requirements with respect to

  • (i) training,

  • (ii) qualifying examinations,

  • (iii) good character and fitness to practise, and

  • (iv) fees.

Marginal note:Trademark agent licence — conditions

9 A trademark agent licence is subject to the following conditions:

• (a) the licensee must be resident in Canada; and

• (b) the licensee must meet the requirements for a holder of a trademark agent licence, as set out in the by-laws made by the Board or the College, including requirements with respect to

  • (i) training,

  • (ii) good character and fitness to practise, and

  • (iii) fees.

Marginal note:Applicant for trademark agent in training licence — requirements

10 For the purposes of subsection 29(2) of the Act, an individual who makes an application for a trademark agent in training licence must

• (a) be resident in Canada; and

• (b) meet the requirements for an applicant for such a licence, as set out in the by-laws made by the Board or the College, including requirements with respect to

  • (i) education,

  • (ii) good character and fitness to practise,

  • (iii) fees, and

  • (iv) the provision of administrative forms.

Marginal note:Trademark agent in training licence — conditions

11 A trademark agent in training licence is subject to the following conditions:

• (a) the licensee must be resident in Canada; and

• (b) the licensee must meet the requirements for a holder of a trademark agent in training licence, as set out in the by-laws made by the Board or the College, including requirements with respect to

  • (i) training,

  • (ii) good character and fitness to practise, and

  • (iii) fees.

Investigations

Marginal note:Application to Federal Court

12 For the purposes of sections 44 to 48 of the Act, an application may be made to the Federal Court by notice of application.

Marginal note:Prescribed period

13 For the purposes of paragraph 46(1)(d) of the Act, the prescribed period is the period of 10 days after the day on which the investigator removes the sealed package containing the document or thing.

Marginal note:Federal Court orders

• 14 (1) For the purposes of subsection 46(5) of the Act, the Federal Court may make orders respecting the retention, opening or return of sealed packages.

• Marginal note:Application

  (2) An investigator or any interested person may apply to the Federal Court for an order referred to in subsection (1).

• Marginal note:Conditions for opening sealed package

  (3) Subject to any order made by the Federal Court under subsection (1), a sealed package may be opened if

  • (a) consent is given by the holder of a privilege with respect to that document or thing; or

  • (b) the sealed package was returned to the owner of the document or thing in that sealed package.

Marginal note:Applicable period

15 For the purposes of subsection 47(1) of the Act, the applicable period is the one that ends the latest among the following periods:

• (a) the period of 30 days after the day on which the investigator took possession of the document or thing;

• (b) the period of 30 days after the day on which the sealed package containing that document or thing was, or could have been, opened, if applicable; and

• (c) the period agreed to by the owner of the document or thing in the sealed package and, if applicable, the holder of a privilege with respect to that document of thing.

Unauthorized Representation — Exemptions

Marginal note:Representation before Patent Office

16 Subsection 70(1) of the Act does not apply to

• (a) a person who is permitted to represent another person before the Patent Office under the Patent Rules or under the Patent Act or any other Act of Parliament or any Act of the legislature of a province;

• (b) an employee who is representing their employer, unless their employer is representing another person; or

• (c) a person who is performing an administrative activity, if they have the permission of a patent agent, whose licence is not suspended, to perform that activity.

Marginal note:Representation before Office of Registrar of Trademarks

17 Subsection 71(1) of the Act does not apply to

• (a) a person who is permitted to represent another person before the Office of the Registrar of Trademarks under the Trademarks Regulations or under the Trademarks Act or any other Act of Parliament or any Act of the legislature of a province;

• (b) an employee who is representing their employer, unless their employer is representing another person; or

• (c) a person who is performing an administrative activity, if they have the permission of a trademark agent, whose licence is not suspended, to perform that activity.

Authorization to Make By-laws

Marginal note:Authority for College to make by-laws

18 The College is authorized to make by-laws with respect to

• (a) the conditions that are to be imposed on licences or classes of licences, including a condition that requires a licensee to be of good character and fit to practise;

• (b) the requirements that individuals or classes of individuals must meet under section 26 or 29 of the Act, including requirements in relation to qualifying examinations, to fees with respect to qualifying examinations and to being of good character and fit to practise;

• (c) the determination as to what constitutes good character and fitness to practise for the purposes of the conditions and requirements referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b), respectively; and

• (d) restrictions on the entitlement of licensees or classes of licensees to provide representation under section 27 or 30 of the Act.

Registers — Additional Information

Marginal note:Register of Patent Agents — additional information

• 19 (1) For the purposes of paragraph 28(1)(f) of the Act, the Registrar must include in the Register of Patent Agents the name and contact information of an individual who

  • (a) is a resident of a country other than Canada and is authorized to act as a patent agent under the law of that country; and

  • (b) has made a request in writing to the Registrar to be included in the Register.

• Marginal note:Register of Patent Agents — annual requirement

  (2) In order to maintain their name in the Register, an individual referred to in subsection (1) must continue to meet the requirements of paragraph of (1)(a) and must in each year, within the period established by by-laws made by the Board, provide to the Registrar a statement signed by the individual setting out their country of residence and declaring that they are authorized to act as a patent agent under the law of that country.