Intellectual Property Clinics Program

The IP Clinics Program, originally known as the Intellectual Property Legal Clinics Program, was intended to encourage the establishment or enhancement of IP legal clinics within Canadian law schools.

Budget 2022 announced additional funds to expand the IP Clinics Program in order to make it easier to access basic IP services. As part of this expansion, the list of eligible recipients is being extended to include Canadian business schools. A total of $350,000 in funding will be available in 2023– 24, with another $400,000 annually from 2024– 25.

The program enables law and business students to learn more about IP, helps businesses get a sense of their IP needs and facilitates access to the professionals who can provide quality IP advice. This helps improve the understanding of IP among those served by IP clinics and increase access to IP services for small and medium-sized enterprises, women and Indigenous innovators as they seek to develop effective IP strategies and protect their innovations. This program contributes to the objectives of Canada's Intellectual Property Strategy, as it helps Canadian innovators and entrepreneurs better understand, protect and commercialize IP.

A key objective of this program is to encourage students to be aware of the potential value of IP in business ventures, as well as to consider integrating an IP strategy into business planning, where appropriate. Therefore, funding initiatives that feature an interdepartmental or cooperative component are encouraged.