Over 500 patent agents and trademark agents completed CPATA’s survey of licensees in 2022, providing never-before-collected information about their professional activities and demographics.
The survey of patent agents and trademark agents helps CPATA better understand the nature of IP practice in Canada as we continue to develop right-touch regulation of patent agents, trademark agents and licensing candidates.
It provides important demographic information about the profession. Of note, the survey indicates that the number of IP agents in Canada is stagnant. However, there is increasing demographic diversity in the profession.
The survey also confirms that while many licensees are also lawyers or engineers, who are now subject to co-regulation under CPATA and provincial and territorial licensees, many IP agents are not members of other professions, and are being subject to professional regulation for the first time.
The survey also highlights the international nature of patent practice, and robust practice management systems used by IP agents to stay on top of the numerous filing and other deadlines that are a part of modern trademark and patent practices.
The voluntary survey had a high participation rate, providing robust, statistically defensible and representative data. It creates a helpful baseline comprehension of the demographics of the profession. However, mandatory annual reporting on specific elements by licensees would be a more comprehensive way for CPATA to collect the information required for effective regulation year-over-year.
We are making the report we received from our survey provider Abacus Data public to contribute to a more in-depth understanding of patent agents and trademark agents by all stakeholders, with positive impacts on the entire IP ecosystem in Canada.
