What Does Actavis v Lilly Mean for Canadian Law?

I have a new article forthcoming in the Intellectual Property Journal, entitled “Protection Extending Beyond the Language of the Claim: What Does Actavis v Lilly Mean for Canadian Law?” The article will be published in two parts. Here is the abstract for Part I:

In its landmark decision in Actavis UK Ltd v Eli Lilly and Co, the UK Supreme Court held that the scope of protection afforded by a patent claim will sometimes “extend beyond” the meaning of the words of the claim, even when those words are read contextually. The Court also provided a structured approach to determining when extended protection is appropriate. This article considers what Actavis means for Canadian law. Part I argues that the Actavis approach represents a refinement of existing Canadian law, not a revolution. In the leading Supreme Court of Canada companion cases on claim construction, Free World Trust v Électro Santé Inc and Whirlpool Co v Camco Inc, the Court held that claim construction in Canadian law was, and always had been, based on purposive construction, including an identification of the essential elements of the claim. The extended protection of Actavis stems from the same recognition that omission of non-essential elements does not avoid infringement. Part II will argue that the Actavis approach is also sound as a matter of policy.