Delayed Mailing of Patent Office Notices

            Following upgrades to its electronic records systems in July 2024, the Canadian Patent Office has experienced and continues to experience ongoing technical difficulties in the processing and generation of Patent Office correspondence. 

            As a result, Patent Office Notices requiring the submission of past due maintenance and late fees to prevent application abandonment/patent expiry have now been delayed for almost one (1) year.

            There is a significant concern that once the Office’s new systems reach normal operation, the Office may proceed with the processing and forwarding of potentially thousands of Notices, providing only shortened periods of as little as two (2) months, by which to submit necessary fees to avoid abandonment or patent expiry.