initiatives

Intellectual Property Education Program

What you create has value. Learn how to protect your intellectual property with the IP Education Program.

Introduction

Intellectual property is a critical element of the global innovation economy. It generates value and wealth for individuals, companies and countries. It also allows us to ensure the health and well-being of our population by creating a system of protections for inventors who want to share new medicines and technologies with the world. While successfully protecting and leveraging IP has become an important factor for many entrepreneurs and their startups, basic IP Literacy is a skill that will help all of us in today’s world.

The IP Education Program is an accessible free, online training program designed to equip students, faculty and staff with a broad foundation in intellectual property.

Registration open on a rolling basis. If you are an entrepreneur, researcher or student, register now to learn about your IP rights, why they matter, and how IP strategies can be applied in business.

Why IP matters

Businesses with a higher awareness of IP and those that hold formal IP are much more likely to experience higher growth, expand their markets, and receive various types of financing. As intellectual property becomes an increasingly important driver in economic prosperity, the need to bridge the IP awareness gap for innovators and entrepreneurs has never been more relevant.

Select the category that best identifies you for quick access to IP Education modules, resources and more:

Choose from the following links for student and faculty researchers:

Choose from the following quick links for startup entrepreneurs:

Choose from the following quick links for educators and instructors:

Choose from the following links for ONRamp membership and Black Founders Network (BFN) applicants:

Did you know? Small- or medium-sized businesses that hold formal registered IP are:

4 x

more likely to export

2 x

more likely to be high growth

27 %

more likely to seek financing

Program breakdown

The IP Education Program consists of two levels: Level 1: IP Foundations and Level 2: IP Strategy and Application.

For each level, learners are expected to spend 2-4 hours completing modules and associated quizzes. Online modules will also be supplemented year-round by by relatable case studies, optional instructor-led workshops and expert panel sessions to provide learners with exposure to practitioners, thought leaders and entrepreneurs. Attendance at these workshops and events is not required but is highly recommended.

Level 1: IP Foundations

Level 1 consists of two modules covering the definition of IP – its value and different forms including patents, trademarks and copyright – and one module on the basics of how to file a patent.

Learn more

Level 2: IP Strategy and Application

Level 2 is a series of special topics, ranging from IP strategy and commercialization to IP best practices for inventors and entrepreneurs.

learn more

CCR recognition

U of T students who successfully complete each level will receive recognition on their Co-Curricular Record (CCR) as a Knowledge Creation and Innovation credential for Level 1 and Strategic Thinking or Reflective Thinking credential for Level 2.

Registration

U OF T LEARNERS

The IP Education Program is available for free to U of T students from all disciplines, as well as post‐doctorate fellows, faculty and staff on Quercus. Alumni with an active UTORID may also register. Alumni without an active UTORID should contact the Reader Registration desk before registering for the IP Education Program to request a temporary UTORID and forward the details to ipeducation.entrepreneurship@utoronto.ca to gain access to Quercus.

Registration for this program is on a rolling basis and is meant to be completed at your own pace. Both Level 1 and Level 2 are now open. Please follow the links below to learn more and register.

Level 1 – U of T Level 2 – U of T

EXTERNAL LEARNERS

Level 1 of the IP Education Program is now freely available to individuals outside the University of Toronto. Follow the link below to navigate to the online modules.

Level 1 – External

Videos

Watch recordings from past events related to the IP Education Program, including the IP Matters Speaker Series, on demand.

Additional resources

The University offers a robust array of free IP-related resources for entrepreneurs, instructors, student and faculty researchers, and anyone looking to learn more about intellectual property at the University of Toronto. Find out more about our other student-instructor modules, University IP Policies, the IP Matters Speaker Series and more. 

resources

Questions?

Please contact ipeducation.entrepreneurs@utoronto.ca.