Sam Estabrooks
POS 368
eGovernment Evaluation
The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) is responsible for the issuing of patents in order to protect the intellectual property of those doing business within Canada. As with many other Canadian government agencies, the CIPO has recently begun to place many of its services on its website, located here. The main functions of the CIPO website is to provide information on intellectual property law and procedures to users and allow them to apply for patents online. However, it also includes several functions that allow for increased interactivity between user and government.
As far as the site�s layout is concerned, I found myself overwhelmed with the sheer amount of information presented to the user, often without an easy method for navigating the site. For instance, clicking on the link in the toolbar at the left side of the page for patents takes the user to this page, where dozens of links to various functions relating to patents are laid out without explanation. In the section for filling out forms online alone, there are thirteen links, which is somewhat overwhelming to the user who just wants some basic information on how he or she can submit his or her patent application. Admittedly, there is a tab that reads �Registration� located on a toolbar at the top of the page, which takes you to this page, which lays out all the steps that one needs to take in order to register a patent and includes links to the pages for various types of inventions that one can register a patent for. The problem with this feature is that the black and white toolbar at the top is much less conspicuous than the multicolored one off to the side, and thus, if the user clicks the wrong link, he or she may end up wading through a veritable labyrinth of links rather than going quickly and easily to the desired site.
The most important function of this site, of course, is to allow users to submit applications for patents and other types off intellectual property and pay the required fees online. To this end, the CIPO website is very well-advanced. For instance, in order to submit an application for a patent, the user can go to this page and upload his or her patent information, which will then be sent to the CIPO. Since the process for writing a patent application is extremely technical and often daunting to those who have never done one, the CIPO also offers an interactive tutorial, which shows the user how to create these documents. The CIPO website also allows users to make the payments required for a patent application online. However, in the case that the user is more comfortable conducting this business offline, the CIPO website also offers these forms in printable formats, such as the petition for the grant of a patent. This is important in that it allows technologically-literate users to take advantage of the conveniences offered by new technology without alienating those who are not as fluent with technology or who are simply more comfortable using traditional means to submit their patent information.
One more notable feature of this process is that it requires an Industry Canada account (formerly Strategis) in order to submit this information. The reason why this is important is that the Industry Canada service is a program outside of the CIPO. Thus, by getting an account with this service, users can hypothetically use any number of Canadian eGovernment websites, so long as those websites incorporate the Industry Canada program instead of one of their own. This could both make transactions easier for users and strengthen horizontal ties between agencies.
In addition to the essential transactions of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, the CIPO website also incorporates several functions that help strengthen the CIPO�s ties with users and allows users to provide input and interact with the agency. In order to send feedback to the agency, the user can go to this form, where they can enter their comments. There are also several boxes to be checked to designate the feedback as one type or another, which ensures that it will be easily sent to the right person. Furthermore, the bottom of the page allows the user to provide the agency with contact information so that they can respond to the feedback. This means that communication between the user and the agency can go both ways instead of just one.
Another important feature of the CIPO website is the periodic consultations that they have. When the CIPO decides to hold a consultation, they will post a notice for at least 30 days, calling users to send in their feedback on an issue of their choice, usually relating to the CIPO�s practices and procedures or intellectual property laws or regulations. By periodically consulting with the public, the CIPO can ensure that its website does not operate in a vacuum, and that it can always change its functions or practices with the opinions and desires of its users in mind.
Finally, the CIPO website hosts a series of blogs and forums that provide information on many different intellectual property-related issues. Often, the function that these serve is to provide a human element to the oftentimes dull, routine process of applying to have one�s intellectual property protected. For example, topics discussed include important inventions made by Canadians and the story of a 13 year old published author who has been helping to promote intellectual property. These blogs provide a space where readers can comment, and provide some perspective on how the area of intellectual property law intersects with peoples� everyday lives.
The CIPO website operates at the fourth stage of eGovernment. Not only does it provide the user with basic information on intellectual property law, but it also allows him or her to submit applications and make payments online. Furthermore, the feedback function, the periodic consultations, and the use of blogs all allow two-way interaction between citizen and government. This helps to ensure that the CIPO can take citizen feedback into account in improving its services.