Protect intellectual property

What you need to know, grow and compete

Is IP protection right for you?

Find out!

Read our toolkit, which answers most questions asked by businesses and entrepreneurs.

You can also:

What do you want to protect?

Figure out what type of IP you have:

An invention or an improvement to one—a patent
Words and design that identify your product or service—a trade-mark
An original literary, artistic, dramatic or musical work—a copyright
An original design for a product—an industrial design
A three-dimensional configuration of electronic circuits—an integrated circuit topography

Protect your IP

Decide if you need an agent or if you can do it yourself

Hiring an agent is not mandatory but recommended when applying for patents, trade-marks and industrial designs because these applications can be complex.

Choose your approach:

Do it yourself
Get professional help

Start with a records search to see if your idea has already been created:
- Search patents
- Search trade-marks
- Search registered copyrights
- Search industrial designs
- To research Integrated Circuit Topography, contact a service representative
Get prepared: read the IP tool kit for step-by-step instruction
Protect your IP:

Read our short overview on IP professionals.

Then, consult our lists of accredited professionals:

Beware of unregistered patent or trade-mark agents.
Agent fees are not regulated. Agree on fees with your agent before beginning.
If you want IP protection in other countries, you have to file these applications separately.