Your R&D project may already be creating intellectual property.

Intellectual Property 101: Protecting Ideas and Innovation

A practical introduction to IP for people working in research, development and innovation. No legal background required.

$99 CAD, plus applicable tax

Course content will be released in early November 2026. If a course is cancelled, you will be offered a transfer, a credit or a full refund.

About the course

Intellectual Property 101 gives you the foundation to recognize intellectual property, understand the common forms of protection, and make better decisions when your projects produce valuable ideas, technologies, processes or other intellectual assets. By the end of the course you will be better equipped to recognize potential IP, ask the right questions, know when additional expertise is needed, and contribute to managing intellectual property responsibly throughout a research and development project.

What the course covers

  • Definitions and roles. What IP is, why it matters in R&D projects, and the roles employers and employees play when IP is created.
  • Types of protection. Formal and informal protection, including copyright, trademarks and patents, the patent timeline, and the difference between inventorship and ownership.
  • Patent and technology searching. How searching helps you understand existing technologies and the IP landscape around your work.
  • IP policies. Why IP policies matter, what they cover, and practical guidelines for companies managing IP in research and innovation.

Who it is for

Researchers, technicians, technologists, engineers, skilled trades professionals, project managers, entrepreneurs, managers and other members of interdisciplinary R&D teams. No previous IP knowledge is required.

Availability

Registration is open now. Course content will be available in early November 2026, and we will email you the moment it is ready. You can log in to the learning portal as soon as you register.

If Sustainable Impact cancels a course and cannot offer a reasonable alternative, you will be offered the choice of a transfer to another offering or course, a credit toward a future course, or a full refund. See our Refund and Cancellation Policy.

Part of the Technology Development and Commercialization Foundations series

Take one course, or register for all three for $495 (instead of $577).

Frequently asked questions

Course content will be available in early November 2026. We will email you as soon as it is ready.

No. No previous intellectual property knowledge is required.

It is online and self-paced, in the Sustainable Impact learning portal at learn.sustainable-impact.ca.

You have access to the course materials for 6 months from the date the course content is released.

Prices are in Canadian dollars, before tax. Applicable GST or HST is added at checkout.

Yes. Email info@sustainable-impact.ca and you can upgrade to the full series by paying the difference to $495.

Yes. A receipt showing GST/HST and Sustainable Impact’s HST number is emailed after you register.

Yes. For group registrations, email info@sustainable-impact.ca and we will set up access for your team.

If Sustainable Impact cancels a course and cannot offer a reasonable alternative, you will be offered the choice of a transfer to another offering or course, a credit toward a future course, or a full refund. See our Refund and Cancellation Policy.

Register for Intellectual Property 101

$99 CAD, plus applicable tax

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