ABSTRACT
The Canadian patent system U.S. lawmakers ‹nally put major changes of its patent system into effect in September 2011 to align its patent system with the patent systems of the majority of industrialized nations in the world. Back in 1987, the Canadian Parliament made a similar revision of its traditional patent system. Until then, the Canadian patent system operated in principle and in practice in a manner very similar to that of the old U.S. laws. Pending applications were maintained in secrecy; there was no publication until (and unless) the patent was granted; and the patent term was 17 years from the date of grant, and the ‹rst-to-invent system was in place.
