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Virtual IP Summit – Co-hosted by ventureLAB and Partners
May 3, 2022 @ 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Are you interested in learning more about intellectual property and how it can help you grow your startup? Join the Virtual IP Summit! Ontario’s startup ecosystem is pleased to bring you a whole day dedicated to IP. On May 3rd we’ll be hosting a series of IP webinars and providing Ontario’s founders with the opportunity to meet one on one with an IP professional, all at no cost! You can sign up for one, some or all the webinars by visiting our Eventbrite page.
Registrants will also have the opportunity to book a free 30 minute one one one discussion with an IP professional. These one on ones will be offered during the afternoon of May 3rd on a first come, first basis – details on how to book will be provided to registrants via email on April 29th.
Agenda:
9am: IP Essentials for Founders
Hosted by Tom Nagy, Innovation Guelph Mentor and IP Specialist at proVisionIP
This webinar will tackle IP 101 plus essentials that every founder should know. For example, how can you make sure that the IP generated by your employees or by contractors belongs to your company? What do you need to know about using open source software or datasets? This webinar will help you understand the different types of IP and avoid common IP mistakes that could be very costly later on.
10am: The Patent Process
Hosted by Josée Pharand, P.Eng., Director of IP, ventureLAB
This webinar will take attendees through the patent process, from determining the best time to seek a patent, to patenting strategies and the benefits of provisional patent applications, through to patent grant and infringement monitoring.
11am: IP for Software, SaaS, AI and ML
Hosted by Josée Pharand, P.Eng., Director of IP, ventureLAB
Though software per se might not be patentable, the functional aspects of software may be. And even if patents aren’t available for your software or SaaS company, there are still many IP rights that you can take advantage of when dealing with software, AI and ML – some of which accrue automatically, and at no cost! This webinar will help you identify which types of IP you can use to protect your software and AI and ML algorithms, as well as your SaaS brand.
12 pm: Trademarks
Hosted by Toba Cooper, Associate, and Maria Wei, Associate, Bereskin & Parr
Not all trademarks are created equal, and not all IP protections for trademarks have the same scope. This deep dive into trademarks will go over what separates a good trademark from a great trademark, explain the difference between the ™ and ® trademark symbols and when to use them, and will set out the different types of protection offered by each.
1 to 4 pm: One-on-one sessions offered with IP professionals.
Details on how to book will be provided to webinar registrants via email on April 29th, 2022.
FACILITATORS
Josée Pharand, P.Eng, is ventureLAB’s Director of IP Programs and Policies. Josée is passionate about intellectual property and loves helping founders identify and protect their IP. Josée has a Bachelor’s of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering and spent several years in the private sector before joining the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), where she worked as a Patent Examiner and Manager of Patent Examination Practice for over 13 years. Before joining ventureLAB Josée served as a Director for Canada’s Innovation Superclusters Initiative and was responsible for the program’s intellectual property framework.
Toba Cooper is an associate with Bereskin & Parr LLP. Her practice focuses on copyright, trademark, dispute resolution, licensing and transactions, litigation and other IP-related matters. Toba graduated from the Juris Doctor program at the University of Ottawa where she also completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts. She also holds a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto.
Prior to joining the firm, Toba worked at an IP boutique firm where she managed and oversaw the firm’s trademark portfolio for Canada and the US. Toba prosecuted several trademark applications in Canada and the US including obtaining and executing trademark clearance searches, providing registrability opinions, liaising and negotiating with examiners and devising brand strategies for entrepreneurs and other corporate entities. Toba was recognized in Best Lawyers in Canada “Ones to watch” for Intellectual Property and as a Rising Star (2021) by IP Stars.
Maria Wei is an associate at Bereskin & Parr LLP and a member of the Electrical & Computer Technology practice group. Maria’s practice focuses primarily on helping clients secure patent rights for a wide variety of electrical and computer related inventions including electronic circuits for various applications, solar power equipment, electric vehicle equipment, wearable technology, satellite spaceflight hardware, digital signal processing, medical and dental imaging, data encryption, optics, computer software, business methods and other technologies. She is a member of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
Maria completed her B.Eng. in Electrical Engineering at McMaster University, her M.A.Sc. in Electrical Engineering at the University of Waterloo and J.D. at the University of Toronto. She also has industry experience having previously worked for companies in the fields of nuclear technology, electricity transmission and distribution, and electricity generation.
Prior to being admitted to the Bar, Maria was both a summer student and articling student with the firm. Maria is also conversant in Mandarin.
Tom Nagy spent a fruitful decade at RIM, designing and implementing operating system elements on the first BlackBerry devices, leading WiFi and multimedia development teams, and helping craft many important patent applications. As an IP management consultant with local success story Aeryon Labs, Tom created value through intelligent process management, IP-related cost reduction, and an in-depth understanding of high-tech engineering and its relation to the patent process. A founding director of boutique IP Management and Strategy firm proVisionIP, Tom has worked with dozens of clients on ideation, patent drafting and prosecution, IP education, litigation support and IP strategy. With honours degrees in Electrical Engineering (Waterloo) as well as Music (Humber), and a life-long passion for learning, Tom, now also a startup mentor at Innovation Guelph, brings a well-rounded perspective to his endeavours in IP management.
About ventureLAB
ventureLAB is a leading global founder community for hardware technology and enterprise software companies in Canada. Located at the heart of Ontario’s innovation corridor in York Region, ventureLAB is part of one of the biggest and most diverse tech communities in Canada. Our initiatives focused on raising capital, talent retention, commercializing technology and IP, and customer acquisition have enabled thousands of companies to create over 4,000 jobs and raise more than $200 million in investment capital. At ventureLAB, we grow globally competitive tech titans that build-to-scale in Canada, for global markets.
About Bereskin & Parr LLP
Bereskin & Parr LLP is one of Canada’s leading intellectual property law firms. They have worked with Canadian startup and scaleup companies to protect their technology, brands and other intellectual assets for over 50 years. Some of those companies, young and old, are now amongst Canada’s leading business success stories and are valued clients of the firm to this day.
About TechAlliance
TechAlliance is at the forefront of Southwestern Ontario’s innovation economy, as the Province of Ontario’s Regional Innovation Centre for London and surrounding areas. Focused on supercharging our community, TechAlliance provides advice, experiences, and access to capital to launch startups, accelerate scale-ups and inspire talent.
About Haltech
Haltech is one of 17 Regional Innovation Centres (RICs) across the province of Ontario. They are a non-profit corporation backed by the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, and corporate sponsors – Supporting a strong, innovative economy that can provide jobs, opportunities, and prosperity for all Ontarians.
About SheBoot
SheBoot is an Ottawa-based six-week bootcamp that prepares founders to pitch their business and secure investment. To date, they have graduated two cohorts and awarded over $300,000 of funds to women entrepreneurs building exciting, scalable businesses.
About Invest Ottawa
Invest Ottawa is the lead economic development agency for knowledge-based industries in Canada’s Capital, facilitating economic growth and job creation in Ottawa. Guided by a vision to help realize Ottawa’s full potential as a globally recognized, innovative, inclusive, and future-ready city, Invest Ottawa delivers venture development, global expansion and talent programs and services that catalyze the growth and success of entrepreneurs and firms. These include small business training, mentorship, acceleration for technology firms, foreign business and investment attraction, local business retention and expansion in targeted sectors, commercialization, and marketing Ottawa’s diversified economy and high quality of life.
About TBDC
Toronto Business Development Centre (TBDC) offers support for launching, growing, and scaling start-ups. Their motto is to help grow the next wave of tech start-ups in Toronto through its Start-up Visa Program. TBDC is the first start-up incubator in Toronto and offers access to key resources such as business advisory support and a professional environment to establish your business. TBDC motivates entrepreneurial-minded individuals from diverse communities to develop their business plans and to effectively start up their companies through a variety of tailored programs.
About L-Spark
L-SPARK is the destination for Canada’s startup and tech ecosystem to learn, share, plan, execute, measure, adjust, scale and succeed. They deliver results through intensive mentorship and access to a network of top investors, expert advisors, talent and prospective partners and customers. Their startup and corporate acceleration programs give companies exclusive access to leading edge technology and help build the foundation and metrics to raise capital, grow revenues, and reach global markets and partners. To date, their alumni network of 75+ startups have raised funding totaling over $97M.
About Innovation Guelph:
Innovation Guelph’s agile approach to supporting entrepreneurs and businesses reflects the evolving needs of our clients. They continue to provide mentorship and business support programs and services to help innovative enterprises start, grow and thrive. Their business acceleration programs are designed for high-potential startups and small to medium-sized enterprises from across southern Ontario that are ready to scale. Innovation Guelph serves as single point of entry to a provincewide network of regional innovation centres and business support services.
Please be sure to register for all sessions of interest as the Virtual IP Summit will not be recorded.