In light of the disruption caused by COVID-19, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office ("CIPO") announced that any deadlines imposed by the Patent Act, Trademarks Act and the Industrial Design Act that fall between March 16, 2020 and March 31, 2020 are extended to April 1, 2020. CIPO may further extend this period if the current circumstances continue.

Although CIPO remains open and is operating, clients should expect significant delays in all CIPO services. Given that the Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton and Montreal regional CIPO offices are not receiving CIPO correspondence until further notice, CIPO is encouraging the use of its online services for all transactions.

The content of this article does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied on in that way. Specific advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.