Canadian Patent Searching

The resources listed in this guide are located in the Business Information Centre, 3rd floor, Toronto Reference Library. Books and government publications relating to patents may also be found at the North York Central Library and local branches of the Toronto Public Library. Check the Toronto Public Library catalogue for other library locations and call numbers.

Search Steps

1.  By Patent/Application Number

Go directly to one of the following sources:

• Full Canadian patents (microfilm): 1980-June 8, 1999
• Patent Office Record (print): 1824-1855; 1873-March 2003 ; (Internet): April 1999-
• Canadian patent abstracts (microfiche): April 1976-May 1999
• CIPO Canadian Patent Database (Internet): Laid-open applications; Patents granted since August 15, 1978; Bibliographic data (with partial text and some drawings) for patents issued from January 1, 1920 to present

* Canadian patent applications filed since October 1, 1989 and all subsequent patents issued, carry a number which begins with 2 million (2,000,000). These numbers are not arranged in numerical order on the microfiche, microfilm or in the Patent Office Record. To locate these patent documents, search the CIPO Canadian Patent Database by application/patent number.

2.  By Name Of Patentee (Inventor) Or Assignee (Registered Owner)

Either:  Look up the name in the annual Patent Office Record Index of Inventors and Patentees (print: 1950-1998; Internet: 1999-). This index will give you the patent number. Once you have the patent number, proceed to Step 1.

Or:   Search the Inventor or Owner field(s) in the CIPO Canadian Patent Database to locate the patent number. Once you have the patent number, proceed to Step 1.

For laid-open applications filed since October 1, 1989:

Either:  Look up the name in the annual Patent Office Record Index of Canadian Laid-Open Applications (1990-1998). This index will give you the application number. Once you have the application number, proceed to Step 1.

Or:   Search the Inventor, Owner or Applicant field(s) in the CIPO Canadian Patent Database to locate the application number. Once you have the application number, proceed to Step 1.

For early Canadian patents, 1824-1855; 1873-1949:

The historical Patent Office Record gives brief descriptions and drawings of early Canadian patents. Look in the index of each volume for information for that year. It lists these early patents
- alphabetically by inventor's name, and
- alphabetically by invention title

3. By Subject

Searching by Canadian Patent Classification (CPC) System

For patents granted before October 1, 1989:

1. Use the Subject Matter Index to find class and subclass numbers alphabetically by subject.

2. Verify and refine the numbers chosen in the Canadian Classification Manual. For instance, if the subclass number is followed by a plus (+) sign, it divides into further detail. Often, checking the class/subclass in the manual gives you a more precise number to search by.

3. If you need a detailed description of any of the classes/subclasses, look in the Canadian Class Definitions on microfiche (Optional).

4. Do a Canadian Patent Classification (CPC) search to obtain a list of patents related to your subject.* Access the CIPO Canadian Patent Database. Type in the Canadian Patent Classification (CPC) code (class, subclass). Once you have the patent numbers, proceed to Step 1.

* The Canadian Patent Database contains patent documents from 1920 to the present time. If you wish to obtain a more complete list of patents issued prior to January 1, 1920, look in the Class Listing on microfilm. It lists all patent numbers issued under your class/subclass up to June 1990.

Searching by International Patent Classification (IPC) System

Canadian patents issued since October 1, 1989 are classified by the International Patent Classification System.

For laid-open applications and patents issued since October 1, 1989:

Option A: Taking The Shortcut

You can build on what you have done in your previous search. Here's a shortcut you may wish to take:

1. Look through relevant patents. As you scan the Patent Office Record, or the title page of an actual patent, you may find the small boxed number [51]. This is the international classification of the patent.

2. Jot down the IPC symbol(s). The International Patent Classification appears in an alphanumeric format, e.g., A47J 27/06 (IPC for: Tea Kettles)

3. Search by the IPC code in the CIPO Canadian Patent Database (Boolean Search or Advanced Search) to obtain a list of application/patent numbers. Once you have the application/patent numbers, proceed to Step 1.

Option B: Using Search Tools

1. Use the Official Catchword Index to the International Patent Classification* to find suitable IPC symbols for your subject.

2. Check your selected IPC symbols still further in the International Patent Classification Guide.

3. Search by the IPC code in the CIPO Canadian Patent Database (Boolean Search or Advanced Search) to obtain a list of application/patent numbers. Once you have the application/patent numbers, proceed to Step 1.

* We do not carry the complete set of the International Patent Classification. If you wish to search for Canadian patents that are classified down to the finest subdivision of the IPC System, consult the Internet version of the IPC (7th edition) accessible through the Web site of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Scan the section of the IPC that is related to your subject, selecting possible subsections and classes by title. Proceed to locate the subclass, the group and then the subgroup. Note down the IPC symbols of your choice. The classification will be in the format: A##A ###/##. For example:

Tea Kettles: A47J 27/06

A is the Section
A47 is the Class
A47J is the Subclass
A47J 27/00 is the Group
A47J 27/06 is the Subgroup

Searching For Canadian Patents On The Internet

Access the CIPO Canadian Patent Database. Search for keywords in the indexed fields such as Title, Abstract and Claims, using proximity operators, wildcard symbols and Boolean operators when necessary. This will give you a list of application/patent numbers and respective titles. Once you have the application/patent numbers, proceed to Step 1.

A Note About These Search Methods

The CIPO Canadian Patent Database allows you to search for patents by keywords that appear in the patent title, abstract or claims. However, you cannot rely on keyword searching for a thorough patent search. Prior to August 15, 1978, this database contains bibliographic data (with partial text and some drawings). As full text is not available for all patents from this site, and patent titles are often undescriptive, only searching by patent classification assures comprehensiveness.

Patent searching is time-consuming and tedious. Try the various options and shortcuts suggested in this guide. They will help you speed up the process.

Tips and Strategies

Recommended Strategy

Step 1: Use search tools

1. Canadian Patent Classification (CPC):
   Subject Matter Index, Canadian Classification Manual, and Canadian Class Definitions (if necessary)
   
2. International Patent Classification (IPC):
   Official Catchword Index, and the International Patent Classification (7^th edition)

Step 2: Go to the CIPO Canadian Patent Database

Search by classification:
Boolean Search or Advanced Search, e.g.:
Type:

63/10 (CPC)

A44C 7/00 (IPC)

Step 3: Once you get a listing of application/ patent numbers (with titles), view the text and images

Alternative Strategy

Step 1: Find patents in the CIPO Canadian Patent Database

1. Perform a keyword search, using indexed fields (e.g., "Title", "Abstract" and "Claims"), Boolean operators, proximity operators, and wildcards (*), etc.
2. Use computer-generated references to work backward: Scan the listing of titles to eliminate unrelated patents. Check bibliographic data such as: "CPC" and "IPC" of relevant patents to obtain their classifications.

Step 2: Follow Step 2 and Step 3 of Recommended Strategy

Preliminary Patent Searches: Web sites

• CIPO Canadian Patent Database
  http://patents1.ic.gc.ca/intro-e.html

• Patent Full-Text and Full-Page Image Databases (USPTO)
  http://www.uspto.gov/patft

• Delphion Intellectual Property Network
  http://www.delphion.com/simple

• WIPO PCT Database
  http://pctgazette.wipo.int/

• European Patent Office
  http://www.european-patent-office.org

• WIPO International Patent Classification (IPC)
  http://classifications.wipo.int/

Patent Information Contacts

Canada Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) 50 Victoria Street Place du Portage 1 Hull, Quebec, K1A 0C9 Telephone: (819) 997-1936 or (416) 954-1429 Fax: (819) 953-7620 E-mail: cipo.contact@ic.gc.ca Internet: http://patents1.ic.gc.ca/intro-e.html Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) 5160 Yonge Street, 8th floor North York, Ontario, M2N 6L9 Telephone: (416) 954-2024 or (416) 954-1429 Fax: (416) 954-6670 Canadian Innovation Centre A1-490 Dutton Drive Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 6H7 Telephone: (519) 885-5870 Toll free number: 1-800-265-4559 Fax: (519) 885-5729 E-mail: info@innovationcentre.ca Internet: http://www.innovationcentre.ca Inventors' Alliance of Canada Internet: http://www.inventorsalliance.com Telephone: 416-410-7792 E-mail: info@inventorsalliance.com Canadian Technology Network Toll free number: 1-888-CTN-0001 Internet: http://ctn.nrc.ca

United States U.S. Patent and Trademark Office General Information Services Division Crystal Plaza 3, Room 2C02 P.O. Box 1450 Alexandria, VA 22313-1450 Telephone: 800-786-9199 or 703-308-4357 Fax: 703-305-7786 E-mail: usptoinfo@uspto.gov Internet: http://www.uspto.gov To order copies of patents and Canadian laid-open applications: Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) Reproduction & Sales Section Customer Service: 819-997-2985 Fax: 819-953-9969 Internet: http://www.strategis.ic.gc.ca/patentsorder