Canada's patent utility requirements and the workability of the promise doctrine are currently before the Supreme Court of Canada in AstraZeneca Canada Inc v Apotex Inc, in litigation over the validity of Astrazeneca's patent for the acid reflux medicine Nexium (esomeprazole). (canadianlawyermag.com)
REC ownership can be important to meeting state renewable portfolio standards (RPS), whether the requirements are for distributed generation carve - outs or broader utility requirements. (ncsl.org)
Canada's utility requirements also safeguard against patentees overstating the usefulness of their inventions and assure that the public receives the benefits bargained for in exchange for the patentee's monopoly rights. (canadianlawyermag.com)