COVID-19 Update – Canadian Intellectual Property Office Extends Deadlines
We are pleased to report that in view of the unforeseen disruption caused by COVID-19, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) has, effective March 16, 2020 and ending on March 31, 2020, designated those days under the Patent Act, Trademarks Act and Industrial Design Act as a day where any time period ending on one of those dates is extended to the next day. Effectively meaning any deadlines for Canadian applications falling within that period is extended to April 1, 2020. We will be watching the situation with CIPO closely and if there are any further changes to its operations and services, we will let you know.
Maintaining a safe and healthy environment for all our clients, professionals and staff is of the utmost importance to the firm. As jurisdictions across the globe are establishing health and safety measures to contain the COVID-19 virus, it is our priority to ensure we continue to provide high-quality services to our clients while protecting our professionals and employees.
First, we note that our offices are open for business, although in view of the recommended social distancing due to the outbreak, many of our professionals and staff are working from home. However, we assure you that we will be able to meet all of your deadlines while working remotely. Bereskin & Parr LLP is proactively following the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) web site and frequent updates. We are also heeding the advice from the World Health Organization and Government of Canada to ensure we make informed decisions regarding the health and safety of all members of our firm. At this time, we have restricted non-essential business travel and our professionals have cancelled their attendance at conferences.
Further, we are not accepting any visitors to our offices and are happy to arrange virtual meetings as an interim solution.
We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you informed of developments. In the meantime, we wish all of our clients and colleagues, their families and friends to stay safe during these times.
Stephen Beney
Managing Partner