Publications
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Recent developments on patent-eligibility of medical use claims in Canada
Last December, the Federal Court of Canada overturned a decision of the Commissioner of Patents to refuse a patent claiming a fixed dosage regimen for the drug Humira® (Adalimunab) used in rheumatoid arthritis. The Court’s decision 1 is found here: 2014 FC 1251. This Court decision was an appeal of (…)
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Omnibus Bill C-43 – PLT and the Hague Agreement
Bill C-43 was introduced in the House of Commons of Canada on October 23rd, 2014. This omnibus budget bill, also referred to as the Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No. 2, enacts and amends more than twenty (20) different statutes, including the Patent Act and the Industrial Design Act. Regarding (…)
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The rise and fall of the “promise” attack – A sigh of relief for the pharmaceutical industry
Canada has recently seen a surge of patent validity challenges based on lack of utility. Utility is a legal requirement for patent validity; an “invention” must have some stated or implied practical use to fulfill the requirements of the Patent Act. Normally, a scintilla of usefulness is enough. (…)
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Amazon.com finally clicks with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office
More than 12 years after its original filing date, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) has finally granted Canadian Patent No. 2246933 for a “Method and System for Placing a Purchase Order via a Telecommunications Network” (the “One Click Patent”). The application had most recently been (…)