{"id":14302,"date":"2023-04-26T17:24:35","date_gmt":"2023-04-26T17:24:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cpatacabamcdev.wpengine.com\/?p=14302"},"modified":"2023-05-15T16:15:47","modified_gmt":"2023-05-15T16:15:47","slug":"faq-increase-in-annual-licence-fees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cpata-cabamc.ca\/en\/faq-increase-in-annual-licence-fees\/","title":{"rendered":"FAQ – Increase in Annual Licence Fees"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why is CPATA increasing annual licence fees for 2024?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Canadian government established CPATA as an independent regulator to protect the public.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After almost two years of regulation, CPATA is moving from start-up to becoming a fully operational regulator and is incurring the expected additional costs this entails. CPATA forecasts that it will require increased revenues to support core regulatory functions including additional costs\u202frelated to complaints and discipline, competence initiatives, Code of Conduct education and technological infrastructure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What will the annual licence fees be starting in 2024?<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Annual Licence Fee\u202f<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nCurrent fee\u202f<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n2024 fee\u202f<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Class 1 active patent agent <\/span>OR<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Class 1 active trademark agent\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n

$1,000\u202f<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n$1,800\u202f<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Class 1 active patent <\/span>AND <\/span><\/b>trademark agent (dual licence)\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n

$1,500\u202f<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n$2,700\u202f<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
*NEW CONDITIONS* Class 2 restricted patent agent <\/span>OR<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u202ftrademark agent\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n

$100<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n$1,500\u202f<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
*NEW CONDITIONS* Class 2 restricted patent <\/span>AND <\/span><\/b>trademark agent (dual licence)\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n

$200<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n$2,250\u202f<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Class 3 agent-in-training, first and second years\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n

$150\u202f<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n$150\u202f<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Class 3 agent-in-training, third and subsequent years\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n

$200\u202f<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n$200\u202f<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
*NEW* Class 4 inactive patent agent <\/span>OR<\/span><\/b>\u202f\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u202ftrademark agent\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n

\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n$100\u202f<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Foreign Practitioner \u2013 maintain name in the Register for one year\u202f\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n$100<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n$180<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\u00a0<\/span>A cost-of-living increase may be performed on an annual basis to benchmark <\/span>licence<\/span> fees to inflation.\u202f<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

*CPATA\u2019s new By-laws include the <\/span><\/span>creation of a new Class 4 inactive licence<\/span><\/span>, and updates to the conditions of Class 2 restricted <\/span>licence<\/span>.\u202f<\/span><\/span>\u202f<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How did CPATA establish the new fee amounts?<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

We considered budget needs to regulate in the public interest in a manner that would be fiscally responsible and sustainable. From this analysis it became clear that increasing annual licence fees was necessary. The new fee amounts were set to ensure that CPATA would be able to continue to regulate in the public interest.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What alternatives did CPATA explore before deciding to increase licensing fees?<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

Regulators generally have few means of increasing revenues. CPATA explored a range of options, including the possibility of fees on individual patent or trademark applications. Ultimately the only viable option available was to increase fees.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How does CPATA operate to reduce unnecessary expenses?<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

CPATA is a lean, agile organization. We operate virtually, and do not have any overhead related to maintaining a physical location. Unlike most other regulators, only 6 staff are employed by the College. We have a part-time Manager of Professional Responsibility and a fractional CFO to leverage expertise and back end supports that would be more expensive to operate in-house at this time. We hire external support on an as-needed basis.\u202f\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

CPATA made these key operational decisions early-on, to be able to allocate most of our financial resources to key regulatory initiatives that were likely to have a significant benefit to the public, such as creating Canada\u2019s registry of patent agents and trademark agents, establishing patent agent and trademark agent <\/span>competencies<\/span><\/span><\/span> and building out a professional responsibility framework.\u202f\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What has been accomplished to date and why is additional funding needed?<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

In our first years of operation, operating on a shoe-string budget with only 6 staff, we:\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n