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.
Topic
Intellectual property
Plain-language answers on intellectual property, written from primary sources.
Answers
How do I protect my IP when hiring developers or contractors?
The written clauses a contractor agreement needs to actually transfer ownership, and the two rights an assignment alone never covers.
How do I license my intellectual property to someone else?
The steps to licensing IP in Canada, why the writing requirement trips people up, and how licensing a trademark differs from copyright or patents.
Who owns intellectual property created by contractors or employees?
The federal rule that flips ownership from creator to employer, why contractors keep their work, and the patent gap most businesses miss.
What's the legal difference between a business name, a domain name, and a trademark?
Why registering a business name creates no ownership, and what actually separates a name, a domain, and a trademark in Canada.
How do I trademark my business name in Canada?
Why a business name registration is not a trademark, searching the database, the confusion test, filing with CIPO, and examination.
Do I need to trademark my business name?
The real risk of relying on unregistered use, why registering a business name gives no trademark rights, and what registration adds.