As 2024 draws to a close, we look back on the highlights that have defined CPATA over the past twelve months. This year has been filled with both new initiatives and continued progress, as we advanced important priorities from our 2023-2025 Strategic Framework.
CPATA held the first administration of the new qualifying examinations.
The qualifying exams are a crucial component of ensuring both agent competency and access into the professions. CPATA redeveloped the qualifying examinations so that they were transparent, fair, defensible and aligned with the new competency profiles.
- Over 100 licensees contributed to the redevelopment and administration of the new exams.
- Over 130 trainees wrote the 2024 Knowledge and Skills exams for patent agents and trademark agents
This represents important progress in making improvements to the pathways to becoming an agent.
Next Steps: In 2025, CPATA will hold two administrations of the Knowledge Exams (one in the winter and one in the spring) to facilitate access for trainees. CPATA will continue fine-tuning the new qualifying exams based on data from the 2024 administration.
CPATA advanced professional competency standards by consulting with the professions on a proposed Professional Foundations Competency Profile.
In March 2023, CPATA adopted the Technical Competency Profiles for Patent Agents and Trademark Agents, a document that describes the technical knowledge and skills agents need to provide competent patent and trademark agent services to their clients. In spring 2024, CPATA began to develop a Professional Foundations Competency Profile to define the professional skills (such as communication, managing work etc.) that must complement an agents’ technical knowledge for competent practice. Establishing clear expectations for practitioners helps ensure that all new and current licensees understand what knowledge and skills are vital for a safe, effective, and sustainable practice, and help the public know what patent agents and trademark agents can do to serve them. Over 100 licensees completed the survey to validate the profile.
Next steps: The Professional Foundations Competency Profile will be finalized in 2024 and submitted to the Board for adoption in Spring 2025.
CPATA consulted with the professions and IP community about apprenticeships.
Becoming a patent agent or trademark agent requires trainees to complete a 24-month, supervised apprenticeship. Though these requirements produced many excellent patent agents and trademark agents, CPATA has heard from licensees and other IP stakeholders that there is room for improvement. Through focus groups, roundtables, a survey and an open call for responses to a Consultation Paper, CPATA collected information from licensees and other IP stakeholders about their experiences with and insights about apprenticeships. The goal of this consultation was to assess the merits and challenges associated with the apprenticeship model. Focus Groups were held with key organizations such as ISED and IPIC, as well as with over 50 consumers, trainees and training supervisors. Over 100 licensees also completed a survey to share their insights.
Next Steps: CPATA’s Board of Directors will consider next steps. Possible changes to the pathway to licensure, if any, would be subject to further outreach with the professions and stakeholders prior to being finalized by the Board or implemented.
CPATA proactively assisted licensees with ethical issues.
Instead of depending exclusively on a complaints and discipline process to address harms after the fact, CPATA takes a proactive approach to educating licensees on their ethical obligations under the Code of Professional Conduct. In 2024 to date, CPATA answered 24 Ethics Inquiries from licensees, and published ethics articles and other resources on key topics. CPATA also launched a searchable database, where licensees can find available ethics articles by topic or rule in the Code of Conduct.
Next steps: CPATA will continue to develop proactive materials to educate licensees on their obligations under the Code of Professional Conduct. We will be launching a new series of videos highlighting key aspects of the Code.
CPATA tackled unauthorized practice and fraud.
CPATA took a robust approach to dealing with unauthorized practice and fraud, including responding to over 130 complaints about an aggressive phishing scam making its way through Canada. CPATA acted quickly, responding to all complaints within 2 business days, reporting the matter to the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security and local police, and working with authorities to seek to shut down fraudulent websites. CPATA issued a number of notices and worked diligently with colleagues at CIPO and IPIC to get the word out. We recently added a Fraud section to CPATA’s website, where members of the public can access prevention tips and notices from CPATA.
Next steps: We will continue to combat unauthorized practice and fraudulent activity targeting Canadians.
CPATA reached out to licensees and the IP community.
In addition to holding three consultations in 2024, CPATA was pleased to connect with licensees and other IP stakeholders on many occasions, taking advantage of opportunities to hear licensee perspectives and to gain insights from those with deep knowledge and experience in Canada’s IP sector. From IPIC’s annual conference to the IPON Summit, CPATA staff and Board directors were present at key events. CPATA continued outreach initiatives through in-person visits to firms, and online meetings to get in touch with licensees from all practice backgrounds and locations. CPATA worked collaboratively with all levels of government, regulators and IP sector partners on issues central to the best interests of Canada’s innovation economy, such as agent privilege.
Next steps: CPATA will continue working collaboratively with licensees and Canada’s IP community.
CPATA launched an improved Public Register and Licensee Portal.
CPATA’s Public Register allows anyone to search for or verify the current status of an agent or foreign practitioner. In 2024, CPATA launched a new and improved Register system with enhanced searchability functions, including the ability to search by geography.
CPATA also launched a new section of the Licensee Portal for applications, streamlining the application process for prospective trainees and foreign practitioners. This change supports quick and efficient processing of requests.
Next Steps: Over time, CPATA will build enhanced search functions into the Public Register. This will help connect Canada’s innovators and creators with the IP expertise they require. CPATA will also continue migrating other applications and registration into the Licensee Portal to enhance service to licensees.
Looking forward to 2025.
We look forward to working with our licensees and other stakeholders in 2025. We invite anyone who wants to get in touch with CPATA to contact us.
