Does my startup need a patent to protect its product?
What a Canadian patent actually protects, when trade secret protection works better, and the novelty rule that catches startups who wait too long.
Canada · Plain answers · Verifiable
Canadian legal questions, answered from the source.
Written from the statutes, regulations, and official sources themselves, with every claim cited to the exact section it rests on. Information you can verify, not advice you have to take on faith.
We cover federal law, which applies everywhere in Canada, plus Ontario and Alberta. Most of what is here is business law. Every article says up front which jurisdiction it applies to.
Primary sources only Every fact cites the statute, regulation, or official page it comes from. Linked, so you can check.
Verify, don't trust Every claim points at the exact section it rests on. You never have to take our word for it, check it for yourself.
Dated on purpose Every article carries its publish date. Law changes; undated legal content is a trap.
Most-asked questions
All articles →- How much does it cost to incorporate a business in Alberta?
- How much notice do I have to give when terminating an employee in Alberta?
- How do I get a business number and CRA program accounts after incorporating?
- Should I incorporate federally or provincially?
- What happens if I don't file my federal corporation's annual return?
- When do I have to register for GST/HST?
- How do I properly close or dissolve a corporation in Alberta?
- What has to be in an employment contract for federally regulated employees?
Browse by topic
All topics → § Incorporation Setting up a corporation: federal vs provincial, named vs numbered, fees, and what registration actually involves. 37 articles → § Employment Hiring, contracts, termination and notice, and the employee-versus-contractor line that gets employers in trouble. 51 articles → § Termination Plain-language answers on termination, written from primary sources. 18 articles → § Tax & GST/HST Registration thresholds, dividends and income splitting, and the tax consequences that follow the structure you pick. 13 articles → § Corporate dissolution Plain-language answers on corporate dissolution, written from primary sources. 7 articles → § Contracts Agreements that hold up: what has to be in writing, what makes a deal enforceable, and the clauses founders skip. 9 articles →
Latest answers
What happens if my mortgage financing falls through before closing in Alberta?
What actually happens to your deposit and contract when Alberta mortgage financing collapses before closing, and why timing controls everything.
How can employers protect their business when employees leave to compete in Alberta?
The concrete steps Alberta employers take before and after an employee resigns to compete, from covenant drafting to emergency injunctions.
What counts as constructive dismissal in Canada?
The two-part legal test courts use, why layoffs are a common trigger, and the mistake that can quietly kill a valid claim.
How do long-term disability benefits affect severance pay in Alberta?
How Sylvester v British Columbia's deduction rule interacts with Alberta's job-protected leave rules when an employee on LTD is terminated.
How should an employer conduct a workplace investigation under federal jurisdiction?
The federal sequence for investigating workplace harassment complaints, who qualifies as investigator, and the deadline employers often miss.