CIPO is committed to providing service to its clients according to defined performance targets, and regularly measures whether or not these commitments are being met. Measuring performance and monitoring progress are important elements of planning. These processes allow us to assess what we have achieved over time and determine where there is room for the organization to improve.
- Patents
- Patent Appeal Board
- Trademarks
- Trademarks Oppostion Board
- Industrial Designs
- Copyright
- Information Branch - Client Service Centre
2012-2013 Performance targets
| Service | Commitment | Expectation | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issue filing date | within 4 weeks upon receipt of application that meets filing requirements including fees | 90% | 96% | |
| Issue confirmation date of national entry for Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications | within 8 weeks upon receipt of application that meets entry requirements including fees | 90% | 82% | |
| Provide first action (allowance or first substantive report) – Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) | upon receipt of request PPH: within 3 months for every discipline | 90% | 90% | |
| Provide an international search report (ISR) and written opinion or a no search report and written opinion – International Search Authority (ISA) | upon receipt of request for ISA: the later of 3 months from receiving search copy or 9 months from the priority date, in all disciplines | 90% | 92% | |
| Provide an international preliminary report on patentability (IPRP) – International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) | upon receipt of request for IPEA: within the later of 6 months from receipt of a complete request or 28 months from the priority date, in all disciplines | 90% | 94% | |
| Examination — TATs Percentage of inventory of applications with a request for examination waiting for a first substantive office action
Percentage of applications with a request for examination will be waiting for a first substantive office action less than (by discipline): |
Biotechnology | 21 months | 90% | 97% |
| Electrical | 30 months | 90% | 94% | |
| Mechanical | 18 months | 90% | 90% | |
| Organic chemistry | 18 months | 90% | 98% | |
| General chemistry | 18 months | 90% | 96% | |
| Examination — TATs Percentage of inventory of applications with a request for examaniation waiting for subsequent office actions
Upon receipt of your response, a subsequent Patent Office action will be completed within the period specified for each discipline:. |
Biotechnology | 18 months | 90% | 100% |
| Electrical | 30 months | 90% | 100% | |
| Mechanical | 12 months | 90% | 99% | |
| Organic chemistry | 12 months | 90% | 99% | |
| General chemistry | 12 months | 90% | 99% | |
| Issue ownership registration or notification requesting additional information | within 6 weeks upon receipt of request and fees | 90% | 92% | |
| Service | Commitment | Expectation | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Issue decision | reduce the total inventory of cases pending over 48 months | 75% | 80% |
| Service | Commitment | Expectation | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issue filing date | electronic application | within 7 business days upon receipt of electronic application that meets filing requirements including fees | 90% | 86% |
| paper application | within 7 business days upon receipt of paper application that meets filing requirements including fees | 90% | 64%1 | |
| Provide first action (approval or issue examiner's report) | within 6 months from filing date | 90% | 54%2 | |
| Respond to client correspondence received subsequent to a first action | within 4 months upon receipt of correspondence | 90% | 92% | |
| Register a trademark | electronic registration | immediately upon electronic registration | 100% | 100% |
| paper request | within 25 business days upon receipt of paper request and fees | 90% | 70%3 | |
| Service | Commitment | Expectation | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule hearing date | Opposition | within 14 months upon receipt of request (Opposition) | 90% | 84% | |
| Section 45 | within 14 months upon receipt of request (Section 45) | 90% | 97% | ||
| Issue decision | non-hearing decision | Opposition | within 12 months upon referral for a non-hearing decision (Opposition) | 90% | 94% |
| Section 45 | within 12 months upon referral for a non-hearing decision (Section 45) | 90% | 76%4 | ||
| hearing date | Opposition | within 4 months following hearing date (Opposition) | 90% | 94% | |
| Section 45 | within 4 months following hearing date (Section 45) | 90% | 83% | ||
| Service | Commitment | Expectation | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Issue filing date | within 3 weeks upon receipt of application that meets filing requirements | 90% | 95% |
| Provide first action (register or issue examiner's report) | within 8 months from filing date and receipt of fees | 90% | 98% |
| Service | Commitment | Expectation | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Register a copyright | electronic application | within 5 business days upon receipt of electronic application that meets filing requirements including fees | 90% | 98% |
| paper application | within 7 business days upon receipt of paper application that meets filing requirements including fees | 90% | 84% | |
| Service | Commitment | Expectation | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Respond to general enquiries | by telephone | within 1 business day upon receipt by telephone | 95% | 98% |
| by mail, email or fax | within 2 business days upon receipt by mail, email or fax | 95% | 95% | |
| Provide access to an on-site information officer | within 5 minutes upon receipt of request | 95% | 100% | |
| Send CIPO publications | by mail within 2 business days upon receipt of request | 95% | 98% | |
| Send patent, trademark, copyright or industrial design documents | photocopies | by mail or electronically (only patent documents are available electronically) within 3 business days upon receipt of request and fees for photocopies | 90% | 72%5 |
| certified copies | by mail within 3 business days upon receipt of request and fees for certified copies | 90% | 58%6 | |
1 Target not achieved due to a greater number of steps involved in the processing and handling of paper files.
2 First action turnaround times were affected by the secondary review process for first action reports by new examination staff.
3 Target not achieved due to a temporary process change in the trademark branch records office.
4 Service standard not met due to an unusually high number of cases in August and September 2012.
5, 6 Target not achieved due to the introduction of new procedures for the processing of incoming document orders and an unexpected increase in the number of copy pages for court file orders
* The Patent Appeal Board is responsible for both patent and industrial design appeals.
** The Client Service Centre's business hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday; statutory holidays are excluded.