Minister Champagne announces grant recipients for programs promoting intellectual property education, awareness and capacity building

Funding will support Indigenous communities in protecting and expanding their IP interests and foster the development of future IP experts 

OTTAWA, ON, May 1, 2024 /CNW/ - Ensuring that businesses, creators, entrepreneurs and innovators have the tools to leverage and protect their ideas leads to business growth, new innovative products, and fosters a more competitive and healthy economy for everyone. The Government of Canada's Intellectual Property Strategy aims to provide these tools by fostering intellectual property (IP) awareness and education, supporting access to advice and strategic resources, and modernizing legislation.

Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced the 2023–2024 recipients of the Indigenous Intellectual Property Program grant. This program aligns with the Government of Canada's broader commitments to advance reconciliation and renew the relationship with Indigenous Peoples by providing resources to increase Indigenous participation in IP discussions, explore ways to make the IP system more accessible, protect Indigenous knowledge (IK) and Indigenous cultural expressions (ICEs) and support their IP projects. Four organizations will receive a total of $144,607:

• Maritime Aboriginal Peoples Council
• Indigenous Cloud Network
• Manitoba Métis Federation – Government of the Red River Métis
• Arctic Buying Company (Kivalliq)

Minister Champagne also announced the 2023–2024 recipients of support under the Intellectual Property Clinics Program. This program provides Canadian university law and business schools with funding to open or scale up clinics that provide free or low-cost IP advisory services to a variety of clients, including start-ups, and small and medium-sized businesses. At the same time, the program fosters the development of future IP experts by increasing university students' exposure to IP issues. A total of $350,000 will be allocated to the following six institutions:

• Algoma University, Faculty of Business and Economics
• University of Victoria, Gustavson School of Business
• Wilfrid Laurier University, Lazaridis School of Business and Economics
• University of Manitoba, Faculty of Law
• Université de Sherbrooke, Faculté de droit
• Dalhousie University, Schulich School of Law

Quotes

"Building IP awareness and providing Canadians with the right resources to protect and grow their own IP is essential to building an innovative Canada. With this funding, we are empowering the next generations of creators, entrepreneurs and innovators, and helping to support new ideas, honour Indigenous traditional knowledge and cultural expressions, and build an IP system that works for everyone."

– The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

Quick facts

• In 2018, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada launched a comprehensive national Intellectual Property Strategy to help businesses protect and capitalize on their intellectual property (IP) through education and awareness initiatives, the development of new IP tools, and legislative reform.
• Indigenous Intellectual Property Program grants, established under the Strategy, are available to Indigenous organizations to support capacity building, education and awareness, as well as participation in policy discussions on the protection of Indigenous knowledge and Indigenous cultural expressions.
• Budget 2022 announced additional funding to expand the Intellectual Property Clinics Program and extend eligibility to Canadian business schools, with a total of $350,000 in 2023–2024 and another $400,000 annually from 2024–25.
• A total of 18 law or business schools across Canada have received funding under the Intellectual Property Clinics Program since its launch in 2019.

Associated links

• Indigenous Intellectual Property Program Grant
• Indigenous peoples and intellectual property
• Intellectual Property Clinics Program
• Intellectual Property Strategy

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