Protect what you’ve built — in Canada first, then in the UAE.
Founders often file in the UAE only and lose priority in Canada, or place their IP in the wrong company. Our IP pathway fixes the order of steps, uses the international treaties both countries belong to, and puts every filing in the hands of a registered agent.
Six steps, in the right order.
IP audit
What exists, who owns it, what has already been disclosed.
Canada · UAEOwnership
Assignments from founders and contractors; choose the owning entity.
Canada · UAEFirst filing in Canada
CIPO patent, trademark or design application sets your priority date.
CanadaInternational route
Paris Convention priority, a PCT application or a Madrid designation.
InternationalUAE filing
With the Ministry of Economy & Tourism through a registered UAE agent.
UAERecord & maintain
Licences, assignments, renewals and watch.
Canada · UAEHow each type of IP travels from Canada to the UAE
| Right | Canada → UAE route | UAE position |
|---|---|---|
| Patents | File at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) first, then within 12 months claim Paris Convention priority in the UAE, or file a PCT international application and enter the UAE national phase. | Federal Law No. 11 of 2021 on Industrial Property; examined by the Ministry of Economy & Tourism. Term of 20 years from filing, subject to annual fees. |
| Utility certificates | Same priority route as patents, for incremental inventions that may not meet the inventive-step test. | Federal Law No. 11 of 2021; shorter term than a patent; useful for hardware and product improvements. |
| Industrial designs | Canadian design registration, then Paris priority in the UAE within 6 months. | Federal Law No. 11 of 2021; filed with the Ministry of Economy & Tourism. |
| Trademarks | CIPO application, then either a Madrid Protocol designation of the UAE through CIPO, or a direct UAE filing claiming 6-month Paris priority. | Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021 on Trademarks; the UAE has applied the Madrid Protocol since 28 December 2021. Registration lasts 10 years and is renewable. |
| Copyright & software | Protected automatically in both countries through the Berne Convention; voluntary registration creates evidence. | Federal Decree-Law No. 38 of 2021 on Copyright; optional deposit with the Ministry, useful for software and content. |
| Trade secrets & know-how | Confidentiality and invention-assignment agreements governed by a clear law. | Employment contracts and NDAs drafted for UAE labour law, with assignment of IP to the company. |
General information only, not legal advice. Your filing strategy is set with the registered agent handling your matter.
Four rules we never bend.
File before you disclose
Don’t publish, pitch or demo an invention publicly until the first application is on file. We say this on day one, every time.
Registered agents only
Applications are prepared and filed by registered Canadian patent and trademark agents and registered UAE IP agents under partner agreements. Inventiva coordinates the project, the deadlines and the documents; it does not itself act as an IP agent.
Ownership before filing
Assignments from founders, employees and contractors are signed before the first filing. The owning entity — Canadian company, UAE company or individual — is chosen with your Canadian tax adviser, because moving IP between countries later can be taxable.
One deadline calendar
The 6- and 12-month priority dates, the PCT national-phase date and every renewal go into our calendar and are confirmed to you in writing, with a two-person check.
Have something worth protecting?
Tell us what you’ve built — before you show it to anyone else. We’ll map the right route on a discovery call.