IP Outreach Research > IP Use and Awareness

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Main Findings

In 2005, 72.7% of participating hospitals (versus 58% in 1999, 61% in 2001, 56% in 2003, and 64% in 2004) and 82.4% of universities (continuing upward trend, from 62% in 1999 to 68% in 2001 to 78% in 2003 and to 81% in 2004) were actively managing (identifying, protecting, promoting and/or commercialising) their intellectual property (IP). In line with this trend, more institutions had IP management infrastructure: 42.4% of hospitals (versus 32%, 39%, 29% and 36% in 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2004 respectively) and 73% of universities (versus 60%, 62%, 68% and 71% in 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2004) had one or more central offices engaged in IP management.

Universities' and hospitals' 2005 operational expenditures on IP management were C$ 41.5 million (1999: C$ 22.0 million; 2001: 28.5 million; 2003: 36.4 million; 2004: 36.9 million), of which C$ 14.3 million for patent applications and regular legal expenses. IP created at the institution was in the majority of cases owned by the researcher. Institutional ownership and "joint ownership of IP - institution(s) and researcher" were the second most popular IP ownership policies. When it comes to researcher requirement to report new IP created, a substantial increase in "no reporting policy" was observed in 2005.

In the last 5 years, 51.7% of universities and affiliated research hospitals have filed a patent application (versus 51% in 2004, 51% in 2003, 47.4% in 2001, and 47.6% in 1999). In 2005, hospitals and universities filed 1.410 new patent applications (versus 1.264 in 2004, 1.252 in 2003, 932 in 2001, and 656 in 1999) and were issued 376 patents (versus 397 in 2004, 347 in 2003, 381 in 2001, and 349 in 1999). In total, surveyed universities and hospitals held 3.961 patents (up 3.5% from 2004, 30% from 2003, 85.7% from 2001, and 106.8% from 1999). The percentage of patents commercialised amounted to 48.4% (up from 45% in 2003 and 44% in 2004). The number of institutions registering copyright continued to be rather low, reflecting the fact that copyright protection is granted automatically in Canada and that many institutions do not keep detailed records of all works concerned by copyright. While in 2005 no industrial designs were registered, a total of 43 trademarks were registered by 6 different institutions. Furthermore, 2 institutions protected 2 new plant varieties.

In 2005, universities and hospitals executed a total of 621 new licenses (versus 494, 422, 320 and 232 in 2004, 2003, 2001 and 1999 respectively) and possessed 2.836 active licenses (up 40.3% from 2004, 61.5% from 2003, 99.2% from 2001, and 146.9% from 1999). University and affiliated research hospital royalty income from licensing amounted to C$ 43.7 million (up from C$ 21 million in 1999, C$ 37.8 million in 2003 and C$ 38.6 million in 2004, but down from C$ 47.6 million in 2001). Between 2004 and 2005, total income from IP increased from C$ 51.2 million to C$ 55.2 million (+7.8%). To date, universities and their affiliated research hospitals have created a total of 1.027 spin-off companies to commercialise their technologies, in most cases with a view to licensing technology only (39%; up from 36% in 2004 and 37% in 2003; down from 41% and 46% in 2001 and 1999 respectively). The value of remaining equity in spin-offs was C$ 41.3 million (down from 49.8 million in 2004, from 52.4 million in 2003, from 45.1 million in 2001, and from 54.6 million in 1999).

[Date Added: Aug 18, 2008 ]