New Update from CIPO: No More Priority for Pre-Approved Terms

For years, Canadian business owners have faced long delays when filing trademark applications. At one point, it could take close to five years just to reach the examination stage, a frustrating reality for entrepreneurs trying to protect their brands in a timely way.

To streamline the application process, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) introduced a policy in 2021 that prioritized applications listing only acceptable or pre-approved goods and services from the CIPO Goods and Services Manual. Since examiners didn’t need to validate these descriptions, these applications moved ahead faster than those using custom or modified terms.

But that’s about to change.

🔔 What’s New?

CIPO recently announced that it will end this fast-tracking practice. Going forward, all domestic trademark applications, regardless of whether they use pre-approved, custom, or mixed terms, will be placed in the same examination queue.

⏱️ What Does This Mean for You?

The silver lining? This change comes as part of CIPO’s broader efforts to reduce backlogs and improve turnaround times. The Office now expects to examine new applications within approximately nine (9) months of filing!! A far cry from the multi-year delays we’ve seen in recent years.

💡 Should You Still Use Pre-Approved Terms?

Yes—but not for speed. While listing pre-approved goods and services no longer gives you a fast-track advantage, it still helps you avoid objections and reduce back-and-forth with the Office. Custom descriptions may still be appropriate in some cases, but they should be carefully drafted with examination in mind.

🛡️ Ready to Protect Your Brand?

If you’ve been waiting for shorter timelines before moving ahead with a trademark application in Canada, this is promising news. With examination times stabilizing and a level playing field for all applications, now is a smart time to take action on protecting your brand assets.

Have questions about how this change might affect your filing strategy? I’d be happy to walk you through it.

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Jessie Belot is a Canadian trademark agent supporting coaches, creatives, and founders in confidently protecting what they’ve built. Learn more at YouBetterTrademarkThat.ca.