Intellectual property – Protecting your assets

We are here to help you protect your intellectual property (IP) when doing business in Canada and abroad. 

Intellectual Property refers to creations of the mind, such as:

• inventions
• literary and artistic works
• designs
• symbols, names, and images used in commerce

IP is protected in law by, for example, patents, copyright, and trademark. Securing your IP ensures you have the exclusive right to use, license, or commercialize your innovations. 

IP laws can be different in each country, laws that protect your IP in Canada may not apply when doing business abroad. 

We partner with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) to help businesses protect and leverage their intellectual property in Canada and abroad. Through our partnership with CIPO, we can:

• connect you with IP experts in target markets
• offer guidance on how to best protect your IP abroad 
• provide educational resources to help you manage IP abroad

While we can help you access the right expertise, we do not offer legal services.

Learn more about our partnership with CIPO.  

Learn about the IP Village, a federal partnership dedicated to helping Canadian businesses understand and protect their IP.

Companies planning to export should develop a global IP strategy aligned with their business goals. Registering IP in Canada only protects it within Canada. Similar protection is also required in targeted foreign markets.

Find out more with the step-by-step guide to protecting your IP abroad.

IP considerations for:

• United States
• European Union
• China 
• India

Find funding for small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) exporters and funding for innovation exporters to support applying for intellectual property protection in international markets.