The Fine Print Insights
Your Go-To Legal Resource
We bring you expert commentary on the latest trends, rulings, and developments in intellectual property, corporate, and franchise law. While our insights aren’t a substitute for personalized legal advice, they’ll keep you informed on the legal matters that matter most to your business. Have questions? Reach out to us for tailored guidance.
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The Supreme Court of Canada Clarifies the Law on Methods of Medical Treatment More Than 50 Years Later – Pharmascience Inc. v. Janssen Inc., 2026 SCC 26
On July 17, 2026, the Supreme Court of Canada released its long-awaited decision in Pharmascience Inc. v. Janssen ...
Celebrating May Cheng’s Inclusion in the Top 250 Women in IP 2026
May Cheng Named to Managing IP’s 2026 Top 250 Women in IP
Saskatchewan’s new franchise law: where it aligns and where it favours franchisors
From June 30, 2026, Saskatchewan will officially join six other Canadian provinces (Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island) in having franchise legislation when the Franchise Disclosure Act (Saskatchewan) (“FDA”) comes into effect.
Canada’s National AI Strategy: Is Canada Underweighting Intellectual Property Protection for SMEs?
Canada’s new National AI Strategy reflects an important shift in how the federal government understands artificial intelligence. AI is no longer framed primarily as a research or innovation issue. Instead, the Strategy presents it as strategic infrastructure tied to sovereignty, industrial competitiveness, productivity, and long-term economic resilience.
Dipchand LLP Recognized in Lexpert Special Edition: Lawyers in Technology
Lexpert has just released the 2026 edition of Lawyers in Technology, and we are proud to announce that two of our very own have been recognized in the special edition of Lexpert’s rankings. The special guide is an exclusive list of lawyers and law firms celebrated for their expertise in the technology legal sector.
Fresh Paint or New Architecture? CIPO’s March 2026 Practice Notice and the Rise of Disclosure-Driven Software Eligibility
CIPO’s March 2026 practice notice formally abandons the language that drew sustained criticism under PN2020‑04 — notably references to a claim’s “contribution,” a “technological problem,” and a “technological solution.” In their place, the notice re‑centres subject‑matter analysis on purposive construction, explicitly aligning examination practice with recent Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal jurisprudence.
Grant Programs and Funding
Every dollar counts. This is especially true in the beginning stages of a business where opportunities are at every corner, but capital and resources are a bottleneck.
Innovation is important to society. When it comes to financially supporting innovation, the Canadian government and other organizations actually do walk the walk. The following is a list of programs that may prove useful to you in lowering the cost of entrepreneurship and the acquisition of formal intellectual property rights.
Entity Status
Some Patent Offices will provide discounts for government fees to small businesses as an incentive to facilitate access to intellectual property protection. Depending on the size of your company, you may qualify for such discounts as a “Small Entity.” In this article, we discuss the qualifications required to be considered as one of these discounted entities in Canada and in the U.S.
The Provisional Patent
A U.S. provisional patent application (“Provisional Patent”) is a temporary patent filing administered by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”). It does not itself mature into a patent that could be eventually granted, but it does establish an early priority date for an invention should you wish to later file a regular patent application.
May Cheng Wins Managing IP 2026 Practitioner of the Year – Trademark Disputes – Canada
Dipchand LLP is proud to celebrate May Cheng, who was named Practitioner of the Year: Trademark Disputes in the ...
Clear As Mud – The Rub On Trade Secrets
Opening day is right around the corner, you smell fresh cut grass, you hear the ballpark franks sizzling on the grill and see the baseballs rubbed in mud. Yes, a little-known fun fact about baseball is that each baseball is rubbed with mud before play to remove the gloss and slick feel of the ball. This seems like the tradition of a bygone era, but there is reasoning behind it and a story of ingenuity.
When You Don’t Have To Tell All: Ontario’s Disclosure Exemptions and Exclusions Explained
We explore the critical intersection between trademarks and franchise law, and why getting it right from the outset is essential to building a successful and compliant franchise system in Canada.
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