This year’s World IP Day is upon us, with the theme “IP and Youth: Innovating for a Better Future”. In honor of this theme (and at the risk of making our adult readers feel a bit less accomplished), we thought it would be appropriate to highlight some of these wonderful inventions of young, innovative minds. US 8,371,246: Device for drying pets  In 2011, 9-year-old Marissa Streng invented a device to more effectively dry her pet dog Mojo after his baths. The product is now apparently sold under the brand Puff-N-Fluff. US 7,726,080: Under-floor storage   At the age of 14, Rebecca Hyndman patented an under-floor storage system intended for use in locations where tile floors are normally used, such as in kitchens and in bathrooms. As a result of this achievement, she was given the honor of introducing President Obama at the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, immediately prior to his signing the America Invents Act into law. US 6,029,874: Article carrying device for attachment to a bicycle for carrying baseball bats, gloves and other sports equipment or objects   Biking to baseball practice can be quite the challenge when one has to carry both a bat and a glove simultaneously. From this problem sprang the “Glove and Battie Caddie”, invented by Austin Meggitt at the age of eleven. The Glove and Battie Caddie holds a baseball, bat, and glove on the front of a bike. US 7,374,228: Toy vehicle adapted for medical use   At the age of 8, young Spencer Whale invented a toy vehicle adapted for transporting a child and their required medical equipment. According to the patent, the toy allows children who are hooked up to medical equipment to move more freely around a hospital, with the intention of making their stay more enjoyable. US 5,231,733: Aid for grasping round knobs   One of the youngest people to obtain a patent was Sydney Dittman of Houston, Texas. In 1992, when Sydney was only 2 years old, she invented a tool out of parts of her toys in order to open kitchen drawers that her parents had told her to stay out of. Upon noticing that the device would be great for handicapped people to use, her father started the patenting process, and the resulting patent issued when Sydney was only 4 years old. Please join us to celebrate youth innovation on this World IP Day!

Excess claim fees on the horizon As reported earlier, the Canadian government published proposed amendments to the Patent Rules on July 3, 2021. A significant component of the proposal is the introduction of excess claim fees on the order of $100 CAD for each claim beyond 20 claims, which will be payable when requesting examination, and will be re-assessed upon allowance to determine if further claim fees are due when paying the final fee based on changes in the number of claims during examination. Consider acting now In anticipation of the likely introduction of such a regime in early 2022 (which may be announced with only 30 days’ notice), Applicants may wish to begin assessment of their Canadian patent matters and consider requesting examination by the end of 2021 to avoid the payment of such excess claim fees and retain the right to present a larger number of claims for examination. Based on the transitional provisions in the proposed Rules, taking such action now shall avoid payment of such excess claim fees when requesting examination and when paying the final fee upon allowance. We thus recommend that Applicants consider taking such action this year to retain the benefits of the current regime, particularly for cases with a large number of claims as well as those which were already being considered for requesting examination in the short term. Stay Tuned! While the exact details and timing of the upcoming changes remain unknown, the earlier proposal suggests that they will likely be soon and with little advance notice. Please stay tuned for upcoming news in due course, and do not hesitate to contact a member of our patent team for guidance through the ultimate transition.

Canadian Patent Practice has undergone several changes in recent years, in many cases to fulfill the requirements of various international treaties/agreements, including those of the Patent Law Treaty (PLT) and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). On July 3, 2021, the Canadian government published proposed amendments to the Patent Rules, primarily to further streamline Canadian patent examination to pave the way for a future patent term adjustment (PTA) system in Canada as per the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), as well as to bring Canadian practice in line with upcoming Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) sequence listing requirements. The proposed amendments have been published for a 30-day consultation period and may be subsequently modified. Therefore, it is unknown which of the proposed changes will be retained and in what form, and when the final version of the amended Rules will come into force. However, the proposals provide a preview of the types of changes being considered by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, which notably include the following: Excess claim fees Like many jurisdictions, Canada is considering the introduction of government fees for excess claims. The proposal is a fee on the order of $100 CAD for each claim beyond 20 claims, which will be payable when requesting examination, and will be re-assessed upon allowance to determine if further claim fees are due when paying the final fee based on changes in the number of claims during examination. It will thus be prudent to voluntarily amend the claims prior to or when requesting examination to control such fees. Request for Continued Examination (RCE) The objective of the new system is to reduce the pendency of patent applications, with a goal of putting an application in condition for allowance with no more than three Examiner’s reports. Continuing examination beyond three reports would require the filing of an RCE, which would entitle the Applicant to up to two further Examiner’s reports. The filing of an RCE is also proposed for returning an allowed case to examination, which would replace the current (and relatively recent) mechanism to withdraw an application from allowance. The proposed RCE fee is on the order of $816 CAD. Conditional Notice of Allowance (CNOA) Rather than issuing further Examiner’s reports relating to any outstanding formalities, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office will have a new tool to issue a CNOA, indicating that the application is in condition for allowance as long as certain outstanding minor defects are corrected. This provides a more efficient path for Applicants in such situations to both correct the defects and pay the final fee, following which the case would proceed to grant. New PCT Sequence Listing Standard In view of the upcoming introduction (on January 1, 2022) of the new PCT “ST.26” sequence listing standard, Canada plans to bring its sequence listing requirements in line with those of the PCT, which will similarly be adopted by patent offices around the world. Housekeeping matters Otherwise, the proposed amendments aim to provide greater flexibility for Applicants in certain areas such as the correction of various types of errors and fee payments, notably in view of the practical application of recent changes to Canadian patent practice gleaned since they came into force in late 2019. Stay Tuned! As noted above, the final form and timing of the upcoming changes are unknown. Please stay tuned for upcoming news in due course, and do not hesitate to contact a member of our patent team for guidance through the ultimate transition.

 At Lavery, we spend a lot of time searching patent databases on behalf of our clients. Occasionally, we come across certain patents/applications whose cleverness and creativity make a lasting impression. At this time of year, our attention is naturally drawn to those that are holiday themed. And so, in the spirit of the holidays, we thought it would be nice to share some of them with you. We hope that the following examples can help lift your spirits (or at least make you smile). CA 2500690 (application): Christmas tree watering system This setup is likely easier to use by those in the health-care sector. CA 2114854 (application): Santa claws No family member is left behind these holidays—here is a stocking to hang by the fireplace for Santa to leave some treats for your special pet.    US 20200329896 (application): Christmas tree with blades rotated by wind power This application is for a Christmas tree that has a “blade unit” that is mounted to a pole and is detachable. The blades are rotated around the pole by means of natural wind power, “thereby improving the fun of the Christmas tree.” US 6497071: Christmas tree self-watering system This patent is for an “improved watering system for a Christmas tree,” where the Christmas tree's watering basin can be refilled by filling up a nearby water-resistant container. The clever twist? The water-resistant container is disguised as a Christmas present.   US 7258592: Santa Claus visit kit This patent is for a kit for creating an illusion that suggests Santa Claus visited a home. The claimed kit includes items such as “a letter professing to be from Santa Claus” and the “means for making boot prints.” The patent even discloses a rather complicated set of instructions, with steps such as “removing a portion of the drink and/or snack” and, if your home has no chimney, “leaving a toy key outside.”    US 5523741: Santa Claus Detector This patent was for a “children's Christmas Stocking device useful for visually signalling the arrival of Santa Claus by illuminating an externally visible light source having power source located within said device.” Santa Claus is described as “a plump, white-bearded and red-suited gentleman who delivers presents to ‘good’ children at Christmas time.” US 3494235: Devices for dispensing tinsel and the like adaptable for decorating Christmas trees Faster decorating for sure—a gun-shaped device for dispensing tinsel.   All the best wishes for a patently wonderful holiday season!