USMCA v NAFTA: What’s changed and what it means for IP in Canada

After more than a year of negotiations, Canada reached a “new” free-trade agreement with Mexico and the United States minutes before the midnight deadline on September 30, 2018.

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will replace the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which created the largest free-trade region in the world when it came into effect over 24 years ago. While agreement on the USMCA has been reached in principle, it must still be ratified by all three countries. 

The changes included on intellectual property law are particularly notable as they modify the landscape for copyright, trademark and patent owners. While Canada is already compliant with many of the provisions, our update today explores what is different and the potential impact Canada’s intellectual property laws.