Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC)

Mr. Grant Lynds
President

The Council of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) is pleased to announce the election of Grant Lynds as its new President, effective October 12, 2017.

Since joining IPIC in 1997, Grant served as a member of IPIC’s Litigation Committee for many years and as its Chair from 2007 to 2009, served as a member of the Industrial Design Committee and is currently Chair of IPIC’s Intervention Committee. Grant sat on Council from 2010 to 2012 and rejoined as member of the executive in 2015.

“I’m looking forward to starting my year as President with a new strategic plan as a roadmap. This plan will guide our activities for not only this year, but also for the next three years to come. IPIC has a key role to play in advocating for improvements to the IP system that will help IP professionals, and support the increased use of IP. Given the political and policy environment right now, and the importance being placed on innovation and intellectual property by this government, IPIC has a great opportunity in front of us.” said Grant Lynds in his President’s speech at IPIC’s AGM last week.

Grant is a patent agent, trademark agent and a principal at Marks & Clerk in Ottawa, where his practice covers patent and industrial design prosecution, IP litigation, trademark oppositions and patent licensing. Grant spent a number of years as in-house IP licensing and litigation counsel for Nortel, where he negotiated patent licenses and managed US and Canadian litigation, arbitration and mediation.

As a previous in-house IP counsel, Grant knows firsthand the importance of IP for a successful business. “Businesses need to consider IP as central to business planning as they would research and development, marketing, or sales as part of their overall strategy for business growth. I look forward working with IPIC in creating partnerships with chambers of commerce, start-up incubators, and think tanks to incorporate messaging about IP in broader communications to the business community.” says Grant.

Grant is a member of the Ontario and New York bars, a patent attorney in the US, and a professional engineer in Alberta and Ontario.

ABOUT THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY INSTITUTE OF CANADA

The Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) is the professional association of patent agents, trademark agents, and lawyers practicing in all areas of intellectual property (IP) law. Our membership totals over 1,700 individuals, consisting of practitioners in law firms and agencies of all sizes, sole practitioners, in-house corporate intellectual property professionals, government personnel, and academics. Our members’ clients include virtually all Canadian businesses, universities and other institutions that have an interest in intellectual property (e.g. patents, trademarks, copyright, and industrial designs) in Canada or elsewhere, and also foreign companies who hold intellectual property rights in Canada. www.ipic.ca