Each year on April 26, the global intellectual property community celebrates World Intellectual Property Day. The event was established by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2000 as an opportunity to highlight the role played by IP rights in encouraging innovation and creativity.   April 26th was chosen as the day to celebrate World Intellectual Property Day as it coincides with the date when the convention establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization came into effect in 1970.

To mark the World IP Day, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, launched a call for proposals for ElevateIP[1].  ElevateIP was introduced through Budget 2021 as a four-year, $90 million program designed to provide funding to business accelerators and incubators (BAI) and BAI networks, “to provide the tools Canadian start-ups need to better protect, strategically manage and leverage their IP”.  With ElevateIP funding, BAIs can offer start-ups individualized IP programming in three key areas: the development of IP strategies, the implementation of IP strategies, and IP education and awareness.  The call for proposals will close on June 28, 2022.

Minister Champagne also announced the recipients of the 2021-2022 Indigenous Intellectual Property Program (IIPP) grant[2].  The IIPP grant provides funds for Indigenous organization for funding travel, small-scale initiatives and projects related to intellectual property, Indigenous knowledge and Indigenous cultural expressions.  This year five organizations received a total of $116,665 under the IIPP grant.

[1] https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/elevateip/en

[2] https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/108.nsf/eng/h_00010.html