Antitrust Law Daily Wrap Up, ANTITRUST NEWS: Canada Competition Bureau updates IP enforcement guidelines, (Sep 22, 2014)

The Canada Competition Bureau released an update to its Intellectual Property Enforcement Guidelines on September 18. The update followed a public consultation last spring, in which interested parties were invited to provide their views of the draft version of the updated guidelines.

The most significant revisions to guidelines were clarifications to the circumstances when the nonuse of an IP right could create a competition issue and the Competition Bureau’s enforcement approach to patent-pooling arrangements, a particular type of business agreement among firms, the Bureau noted.

The updating of the guidelines is a continuing process, according to the Bureau. A second stage will involve seeking public comments on a further update, which will include the Bureau’s enforcement position with respect to new competition policy and IP issues that have arisen in recent years. These issues include patent litigation settlement agreements, the conduct of patent assertion entities, and activity related to standard essential patents.

News: Antitrust