Online Help

Operating System and Browser Compatibility

Review the system requirements and information summary to ensure your system meets the software and browser requirements.

Username and Password

To access the online form, create a username and password by registering with Industry Canada. To retrieve forgotten usernames and/or passwords or to update Industry Canada Registration information, please visit the Industry Canada Registration webpage.

Deposit Account Access

To use the deposit account payment option, you must first contact CIPO's Finance Branch in writing to grant access to your deposit accounts to authorized Industry Canada User(s) in your firm. Please include the name of your firm, deposit account number(s), and the Industry Canada User account number(s).

Send your request to CIPO's Finance Branch by:

Fax: 819-994-0357

Email: cipo.finance.opic@ic.gc.ca

Mail:

Place du Portage I

3rd Floor, Room 304 C

Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0C9

Help with Technical Problems

For username, password or server error messages, please contact the Industry Canada Help Desk at 1-800-328-6189 (Canada) or 613-954-5031.
Business hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (ET); email: info@ic.gc.ca.

For questions related to CIPO's online forms, please contact CIPO's Client Service Centre. To report a technical problem, please complete the Technical Problem Report form.

From the Industrial Design Home Page, under E-Services, select the Pay Maintenance Fees link.

Enter your Industry Canada Username and Password and select the Login button. Please note that the username and password are case sensitive. This will forward the user to the Payment of Industrial Design Maintenance Fees home page.

The left side menu bar displays links that will enable users to navigate to the following pages:

• Registration Number Search: Allows users to conduct a search of industrial design registration(s) for maintenance.
• File Upload: Allows users to upload an XML file containing industrial design registrations for maintenance.
• Cart: Lets users proceed with payment of the maintenance fee of validated industrial design registration(s).
• History of Payments: Allows users to query and view previous maintenance transactions.
• Online Help: Provides users with online assistance for the maintenance of industrial design registration(s).
• Problem Report: Allows users to report technical problems.
• Logout: Enables users to log out of the application.

The registration number is the number that is assigned to an industrial design when it is officially registered by the Office.

• Enter the registration number(s) of the industrial design(s) to be maintained. The registration number(s) entered must:
  • be numeric
  • contain 5 or 6 digits
  • be separated by a comma, space or carriage return if there is more than one
• Select Search
• The registration number(s) entered are validated.The system ensures that:
  • the registration number(s) exist;
  • the registration number(s) can be maintained; and
  • the registration number(s) have not previously been maintained.

The file to be uploaded must be a valid XML file (.XML extension) that conforms to the CIPO Industrial Design Maintenance Fee XML schema specifications. To view the specifications select the CIPO Industrial Design Maintenance Fee XML Schema specifications link.

1. Select the Browse button to locate and select the Bulk Payment Industrial Design Maintenance Fee file.
2. Select the Upload button once the file has been selected.
3. The system will ensure that:
   • the registration number(s) exist;
   • the registration number(s) can be maintained; and
   • the registration number(s) have not previously been maintained.

If the system displays:

• Valid: The bulk payment file meets the specifications.
• Invalid: The bulk payment file does not meet the specifications. The system will display the reason(s) for the failure.

Once the file is determined valid, the system will verify that the content of the bulk payment file contains 5 or 6 digit registration numbers and does not contain a virus.

The system displays the validation search results including:

• total verified registration number(s);
• invalid registration number(s); (if applicable) and
• valid registration number(s) due for payment (if applicable).

Invalid registration number(s) error messages:

• The application/registration cannot be maintained The application/registration number entered has one of the following statuses:
  • Public domain - the industrial design registration has expired
  • Withdrawal - the application has been withdrawn by the applicant and no further office action will be taken
  • Expunged - the registration has been removed from the Register by an order of the Federal Court
  • Inactive - the period for reinstatement has expired for an abandoned application
• The registration is already maintained:The maintenance fee(s) for the registration number entered has already been paid.
• The application is still pending and cannot be maintained online: The application number entered is not registered. Maintenance fees for this application must be submitted by mail. You can refer to the Correspondence Procedures for guidance on submitting correspondence.

Valid Registration Number(s) due for payment:

If there are no errors in the validation results, the system will display the valid registrations including:

• Registration Date - The date the registration was officially registered by the Office;
• Title - The title identifying the finished article to which the industrial design is applied; and
• Proprietor(s) - The registered proprietor(s) of the industrial design, i.e. the person/company whose name appears in the Register of Industrial Designs.

Valid registration number(s) can be added to the cart by selecting the Add to Cart button.

The Cart link in the left side menu will display the number of items in the cart and the total amount due.

The Cart page lists the industrial design registration(s) that are ready for payment.

The system will calculate and display the total amount due for payment next to the Total Fees row.

Payment Methods:

• Pay with Credit Card: If the user has selected this button, the system will redirect the user to the Payment Service Provider page. Do not navigate away from this page as this will end the payment process. Note: Selecting the Return to Canadian Intellectual Property Office - Industrial Design Maintenance Fee link will cancel the payment at this point and will return the user to the Cart page.

  To proceed with payment:

  • Enter the Cardholder Name.
  • Enter the 15/16 Credit Card Number without spaces.
  • Enter the Expiry Date of the card in the MMYY format as shown on the card.
  • When all fields are complete, select the Pay With Your Credit Card button. The Payment Processing page will be displayed.
  • DO NOT select the back button or close the browser. Otherwise, the Transaction Receipt will be lost.
  • Once the payment has been processed, the Transaction Receipt page will be displayed.
  • To print a copy of this page for your records, select the Print this Page link at the top right of the page.
  • Select Continue to return to the Industrial Design Maintenance Fee page

  If the transaction returns a Payment Failed message, please refrain from trying again until you verify with your credit card institution. If there are no credit card issues, please contact the Industry Canada Help Desk at 613-954-5031 or 1-800-328-6189 (toll free in Canada) or CIPO's Client Services Centre at 819-997-1936 or 1-866-997-1936 (toll free in Canada).

• Pay with Deposit Account (if applicable):If the user has selected the Pay with Deposit Account button, the Pay with Deposit Account page will be displayed.

  To proceed with payment:

  • Select the deposit account from the drop-down list. Ensure that the account has sufficient funds.
  • Select Submit. The Confirm Deposit Account Transaction page will be displayed.
  • Verify that the details are correct and select Confirm. The Completing Payment Transaction page will be displayed. Do not use the browser's Back button.

  The Electronic Payment Confirmation page will confirm the details of the payment and provide an official payment receipt and maintenance confirmation letter(s).

Note: Adobe Acrobat Reader Version 8 (or higher) is required in order to view the payment receipts and maintenance confirmation letter(s) properly.

Viewing the Payment Receipt: Select the dollar sign icon to display the Electronic Payment Receipt in PDF format.

Viewing the Maintenance Confirmation Letter(s): To view an individual confirmation letter in PDF format, select the single page icon at the end of each row.

A copy of the letter(s) should be printed for your records. Note: The Office will not mail a copy of the maintenance confirmation letter(s).

The History of Payments feature located on the left side menu will allow the user to Search and View the payment receipt(s) and maintenance confirmation letter(s). To view the History of Payments, select the link on the left-hand side of the page to perform a search. Enter one or more of the following criteria:

• Registration number
• Title
• Confirmation Number
• Maintenance Number
• Start/End Date range

Provides a safe way to terminate the active session. You will have to authenticate again if you want to access the service.