CIPO APICanadian Intellectual Property Office
The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) is a branch of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada responsible for administering trademarks, patents, copyrights, and industrial designs. Headquartered in Gatineau, Quebec, CIPO maintains a database of over 1.4 million trademark records and processes approximately 70,000 applications annually.
The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) is a branch of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada responsible for administering trademarks, patents, copyrights, and industrial designs. Headquartered in Gatineau, Quebec, CIPO maintains a database of over 1.4 million trademark records and processes approximately 70,000 applications annually.
Canada underwent a transformative modernization of its trademark system in June 2019, joining the Madrid Protocol and eliminating the use requirement for registration. These changes dramatically increased filing volume (68% of applications now come from non-residents) and made Canada the 4th most designated jurisdiction under the Madrid System worldwide. CIPO has been working to address the resulting examination backlog, achieving a 42% reduction with average first examiner action now at approximately 7.8 months.
Signa indexes all 1.4M+ CIPO records in real-time, normalizing bilingual English/French data into a unified schema. The transition from Canada's pre-2019 classification system to the Nice Classification is handled automatically, ensuring consistent data across all records. With 68% non-resident filings, Canadian trademark data is essential for international clearance searches.
Unique Features
- No use requirement since June 2019 — marks can be registered without proof of use (major change from prior law)
- Joined Madrid Protocol in June 2019 — international registrations designating Canada now accepted
- Bilingual office — all proceedings in English and French
- 68% non-resident filings — highly international trademark register
- Section 45 non-use expungement mechanism — any person can challenge marks not used for 3+ years
- 4th most designated jurisdiction worldwide under the Madrid Protocol
- 42% backlog reduction achieved — examination times improving significantly
- No opposition cost to defend — respondent does not pay a fee to respond to opposition
CIPOData in Signa's API
88% field completeness| Field | Availability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Word mark / Mark text | Full | — |
| Mark type (word / design / combined / sound / certification) | Full | — |
| Application number | Full | — |
| Registration number | Partial | Registered marks only |
| Status (18-value canonical model) | Full | Mapped from CIPO status codes |
| Filing date | Full | — |
| Registration date | Partial | Registered marks only |
| Expiry date | Partial | Registered marks only |
| Owner name and address | Full | — |
| Agent / trademark agent | Partial | ~85% of records |
| Nice classification (1-45) | Full | — |
| Goods and services descriptions | Full | Bilingual English/French |
| Trademark images | Full | Mark images with perceptual hashing |
| Paris Convention priority claims | Full | — |
| Computed renewal deadlines | Full | Auto-computed 10-year renewal cycles |
What you get from CIPO
A real Signa API response for a CIPO trademark. This is exactly what your code receives.
Loading...
Search CIPO trademarks
CIPO's Canadian Trademarks Database provides free web search, but programmatic access is limited. The search interface has no public API for bulk data access, search capabilities are basic (exact match only), and bilingual data handling requires manual effort.
Signa provides full-text search with fuzzy, phonetic, and image similarity matching across all 1.4M+ CIPO records. Bilingual English/French data is normalized with English as the primary language. Search Canadian trademarks alongside 200+ other offices in a single API call, with pre-2019 classification data mapped to Nice for consistent cross-office results.
Loading...
Transparency & Freshness
Data Quality & Freshness
Known Limitations
- Bilingual data (English/French) — Signa normalizes to English primary with French variants
- Pre-2019 applications used different classification system
- Section 45 non-use expungement outcomes may lag
CIPO Trademark Filing Guide
Last verified: 2026-03-01
Always verify with the official office before filing.
CIPO Trademark Filing Fees (2026)
| Filing Type | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Application (online, first class) | CAD 491 | 2026 fee schedule |
| Each additional class | CAD 149 | — |
| Renewal (per class, every 10 years) | CAD 595 | — |
| Opposition filing | CAD 1,115 | — |
| Section 45 non-use expungement request | CAD 450 | Third-party request to cancel unused marks |
| Late renewal surcharge | Additional fee applies | 6-month grace period |
CIPO Trademark Examination Timeline
| Stage | Duration |
|---|---|
| Filing to first examiner action | ~7.8 months (2024-25 average) |
| Examination and prosecution | 6-12 months |
| Publication in Trademarks Journal | 2-4 weeks after approval |
| Opposition period | 2 months from publication |
| Registration (if unopposed) | 2-4 weeks after opposition period |
| Total: filing to registration (average) | 34.5 months (2024-25 average) |
| Backlog reduction progress | 42% reduction achieved — improving |
CIPO Data & API
Filing & Procedures
Need more help? Check our documentation
Explore Signa's Solutions
Ready to search CIPO trademarks via API?
Start building with Signa. Real-time CIPO sync (Under 1 minute lag), 1.4M+ records indexed.
Get API KeyView Documentation