The Government of Canada published the new Patent Rules in the Canada Gazette Part II today (July 10, 2019). This publication of the finalized Rules is further to the previous release of a draft version on December 1, 2018, and the accompanying consultation period that followed.

Importantly, the coming-into-force date for the new Patent Rules has been announced as October 30, 2019. The new Rules, and accompanying amendments to the Patent Act, aim to fit with requirements of the Patent Law Treaty (PLT) and seek to modernize Canadian patent practice. Canada's other recent harmonization efforts include the introduction of Certificates of Supplementary Protection as discussed in these articles :

Certificates of supplementary protection: Canada's new Sui Generis patent term restoration regime,

Government of Canada finalizes amended NOC regulations and new CSP regulations, and

One-year anniversary of the CSP regulations.

A discussion of key changes set out in the earlier draft version of the Patent Rules can be found here, and now that the finalized Rules have published, stay tuned for further commentary on the implementation and effect of these new Rules.