The reason our courses are more valuable than others on the market is that ours are tailored for in-house counsel. Other legal courses try to be something for everyone; they're purposely made generic and marketed towards everyone: in-house counsel, private practice legal professionals, industry professionals, students, government, etc. By focussing our courses for in-house counsel, we can ensure everything you learn is highly relevant to your day to day as an in-house lawyer. 

This course is useful for anyone seeking to understand the intellectual property law regime in Canada, but it is designed for in-house counsel.

The course is split into modules representing major topics. Each module is delivered via a number of short, to-the-point, and aesthetically pleasing slideshow videos. The course concludes with a multiple choice quiz (70% passing grade).

Yes. All our courses are approved for CPD in the jurisdictions that have a pre-approval process. 

• Ontario: This course contains 1 hour and 30 minutes of Substantive content.
• British Columbia: This course contains 1.5 CPD hours.
• Alberta: Please note that the Law Society of Alberta has suspended the mandatory Continuing Professional Development (CPD) filing requirement for the profession until May 2023.
• Manitoba: This course contains 1.5 Substantive hours.
• Saskatchewan: This course contains 1.5 CPD hours.
• Quebec: Please note that the Barreau du Québec no longer accreditates CPD courses. It is up to course participants to evaluate if the course qualifies within the Barreau du Québec’s criteria and self-declare the course in their online training statement.
• Nova Scotia: Please note that the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society does not accredit courses offered by CLE providers nor assign hours to a course. It is each course participant’s responsibility to ensure that a CPD course or activity meets the requirements of Regulation 8.3.5 and determine whether to include it in their mandatory CPD Plan.
• Newfoundland & Labrador: Please note that the Law Society of Newfoundland & Labrador does not accredit courses, and it is each course participant’s responsibility to ensure that a proposed CLE activity meets the content requirements set out by the Law Society and, therefore, qualifies as an eligible CLE activity.
• PEI: This course contains 1.5 hours of CPD credits.
• New Brunswick: This course contains 1.5 hours of CPD hours.

Module 1: Trademarks

• Types of trademarks
• Trademark ownership benefits and protections
• Registered vs. unregistered trademarks
• Guidelines for selecting a strong mark, clearing a trademark, registering a trademark, using and marking a trademark, and monitoring and enforcing a trademark

Module 2: Copyrights

• Types of copyrights
• Copyright, including guidelines on what's protected, infringement, exceptions, and copyright in software
• Copyright ownership benefits and protections
• Copyright infringement & defences
• Copyrights and software (closed source software vs. open source software)

Module 3: Designs & Trade Secrets

• Registration, protections, applicability
• Guidelines for how to best protect designs & trade secrets

Module 4: Patents

• Types of patents
• Patent protections and uses (defense vs. offence)
• Patent process and requirements
• Assessing patent subject matter in Canada, the U.S. and internationally
• Patent searching

Module 5: Developing an IP Strategy as In-House Counsel

• Best practices for in-house counsel to develop a strong IP strategy through proper due diligence of company IP assets