Patent agent Stéphane Lévesque wins Marie Morency Memorial Prize

Stéphane Lévesque has been awarded the 2019 Marie Morency Memorial Prize for obtaining the highest mark nationally on the drafting portion of the Canadian Patent Agent Qualifying Examinations.

Lévesque, patent portfolio manager with the Innovations & Partnerships Office at the University of Toronto, received the award from the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC).

The Patent Agent Examination is a certification exam composed of four, four-hour exams designed to assess the candidates’ knowledge of the Patent Act, the Patent Rules, patent application drafting, case law and Canadian Intellectual Property Office practices – and the exam is required in order to practice independently as a patent agent.

In 2018, the global pass rate for these certification exams was 28 per cent. Most candidates must try multiple times over several years to pass all the exams.

Assistant Vice-President, Innovation, Partnerships and Entrepreneurship Derek Newton said he is proud “to work with one of the most highly qualified Patent Agents in the country.”