Canada’s Intellectual Property Firm

John Knox

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John Knox

Principal
  • Smart & Biggar LP
Language(s): English

Experienced patent professional and tech engineer counsels and connects with innovators

A persuasive and successful prosecutor, John applies his extensive patent expertise and practical insights gleaned as a hardware design engineer to protect the electrical, electronic and computer-related inventions of his innovative clients. He’s lauded by clients for his sophisticated electronics expertise and ability to connect and communicate with inventors in their own language.

Successfully drafting and prosecuting patent applications for diverse technologies

John offers clients strategic advice on the establishment and maintenance of their patent procurement programs and drafts patent and design applications for Canadian inventors and companies across a wide range of diverse technologies including communications, control, data acquisition, electrical power, pure software, medical devices and mechanical technologies. He has prosecuted patent applications for his clients in virtually every country of the world. In addition, patent professionals in other countries rely on John to prosecute patent applications for them before the Canadian Intellectual Property Office

Applying his extensive engineering background to advise clients

With an extensive engineering background, John is the head of the electrical and electronic engineering and computer sciences practice groups in our Vancouver office. Committed to developing future leaders, John mentors junior patent professionals at Smart & Biggar and through his involvement in the Federation of Independent Intellectual Property Professionals (FICPI).

Prior to becoming a leading patent agent, John worked as a hardware design engineer and project leader for Dynapro Systems Inc., an affiliate of Allen-Bradley Corp. His main areas of industrial experience include hardware system and communication system design using the Intel microprocessors, and analog design for data acquisition.

  • News
  • Speaking
  • Industry Involvement
  • "Patents: Opposition," moderator at the FICPI Open Forum, Barcenlona, Spain, November 2014
  • "Getting Patents Quickly in North America," presented at the FICPI Open Forum, Sorrento, Italy, October 2013
  • "Recent CIPO Examination Practice Guidelines," presented at the FICPI ABC meeting, New Orleans,
    Louisiana, May 2013
  • "The 'Art' of Patentable Subject Matter in Canada," presented at the FICPI ABC meeting, Bath, England, June 2011

Memberships

  • Fellow, Intellectual Property Institute of Canada
  • Member of Honour, Fédération internationale des conseils en propriété intellectuelle (FICPI); Past President of the Finance Advisory Board of FICPI; Past President of FICPI Canada; Technical Program Coordinator for the 2014 FICPI ABC meeting

Teaching Activities

  • "Digital Electronics," British Columbia Institute of Technology, Burnaby, BC, 1983-1986