Mr. Speaker, the changes to trademark are very important for small and medium-sized businesses across Canada.
What we are doing in Bill C-31 is enacting three international protocols that protect the interests of small businesses on the international scene. These three treaties will allow Canadians who work in the IT sector and those who are dependent on their intellectual property on the world stage not to have to hire 50 and 60 lawyers around the world but to hire one.
When a patent is registered in Canada, it will be recognized on the world stage so that Canadians who are investing in intellectual property will be protected on a global level, not just a Canadian level.
I understand that the Canadian Bar Association does not like it, but it is because it is good for small business.