Patents

Dimock Stratton brings decades of experience and extensive technical expertise to patent drafting and prosecution. Our patent agents are also lawyers with backgrounds in the sciences and engineering, who bring their legal insight to bear in preparation and prosecution of patent applications, thanks to Dimock Stratton's involvement in precedent-setting Canadian patent cases involving claim construction, infringement, and validity.

The patents and applications we handle cover the gamut of technologies, including consumer products, pharmaceuticals, computer systems and software, chemicals, medical devices, oil and gas exploration, construction, and Internet services. We have been selected by multinational corporations to be their primary intellectual property firm in Canada. For our clients with in-house patent or legal departments, we tailor our reporting and other communications to ensure compliance with our clients' in-house requirements.

We also understand that for our clients obtaining a patent is the first step, not the end result. We ensure that the patents we obtain for them are valuable assets, whether the patent is licensed, litigated, or otherwised used to secure a competitive advantage in the market.

Our patent services include:

• clearance opinions (freedom to market, manufacture, and use) 

• patentability, infringement, and validity opinions

• patent and prior art searches

• patent drafting

• patent filing and prosecution in Canada and worldwide

• representation before the Patent Appeal Board

• strategic advice on domestic and global patent protection

• representation in re-examination and conflict proceedings

• drafting and negotiating licences and other agreements

• due diligence reviews of patent portfolios for commercial transactions

• patent auditing (identifying and capturing potential IP in business operations)

• intellectual property ownership and confidentiality (non-disclosure) agreements for employers, employees, contractors, and consultants

• licensing and commercial agreements for the exploitation of intellectual property rights

• agreements relating to technology transfers, joint ventures, and other collaborative arrangements