Research Guides: Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Intellectual Property

What is Intellectual Property?

Books, movies, music, works of art, inventions, business information, trademarks and other products of human imagination are known as intellectual property (IP). IP rights are protected under patent, copyright, trademark, design and trade secret laws collectively known as intellectual property laws.

NEW policy report February 2020
Intellectual Property in Ontario's Innovation Ecosystem

Intellectual Property

Enterprising Ideas: A Guide to Intellectual Property for Startups (WIPO)

Patents and Designs

For more information about patent and design resources, visit the Patents and Designs guide.

CIPO Resources for Inventors and Businesses
Collection of guides, videos and other resources that explain intellectual property rights.
General Information Concerning Patents (USPTO)
Inventing the Future - An Introduction to Patents for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (WIPO, 2019)
A useful introduction to patents first published in 2006 by the World Intellectual Property Organization.
Looking Good: An Introduction to Industrial Designs for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (WIPO)
Espacenet (EPO)
The largest public patent database on the internet, Espacenet contains 100 million patent documents from more than 90+ countries including Canada and the U.S., plus 2 million records for non-patent literature cited in EPO search reports. Espacenet is produced by the European Patent Office (EPO).

Trademarks

Guide to Trademarks (CIPO)
An introduction to Canadian trademarks and the trademark registration process.
Canadian Trademarks Database (CIPO)
Contains all active and many inactive trademarks from 1979 forward. Some earlier trademarks are also included.
Basic Facts About Trademarks (USPTO)
An overview of the U.S. trademark system and application procedures.
Making a Mark - An Introduction to Trademarks for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
This short guide, published by the World Intellectual Property, explains the benefits of trademark protection for product and business names.
Global Brand Database (WIPO)
Search more than 17 million trademarks from approximately 20 countries including Canada and the U.S.
TMview
Search more than 5 million trademark applications and registrations from EU countries.

Copyright

Creative Expression: An Introduction to Copyright and Related Rights for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

Trade Secrets

What is a Trade Secret?
An overview of trade secrets published by the World Intellectual Property Organization.