Trust & IP Protection
Integrity, Loyalty, and Honesty are system properties we test every day. Here is how we prove them — in plain language, with evidence.
Verifiable Privacy
Zero telemetry by design. Everything provable offline.
Clear IP Ownership
You own what we build. No hidden liens.
Gov-Ready Posture
Sovereign data, sovereign infrastructure, Canadian law.
1. What Intellectual Property Means for Your Business
Your IP is any creation of the mind that has commercial value. For typical elect-rix clients, this falls into five buckets:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Copyright | Code, documentation, written content, designs |
| Trademark | Brand names, logos, slogans, product names |
| Patent | Novel processes, algorithms, inventions |
| Industrial Design | UI/UX layouts, hardware casing, visual shape |
| Trade Secret | Client lists, pricing, roadmaps, methodologies |
If you hire a vendor to build it, who owns it? The default answer in Canada is: it depends on the contract. That is why vendor selection is an IP decision, not just a technical one.
2. Canadian IP Law: What Actually Protects You
Canada provides legal protections across all five categories, but the strength of protection varies significantly.
Copyright — Strong
- Copyright subsists when the Act's conditions are met. Filing does not create it. A registration certificate is evidence, not the right (Copyright Act ss. 5 and 53).
- Civil remedies include injunction, damages, accounts, and delivery up (s. 34). The Act says delivery up, not destruction.
- Border path: the owner may file a Request for Assistance with the Minister (s. 44.02). Valid for two years. May require security. The detention section was not re-read on 1 October 2026.
Trademarks — Strong (if registered)
- Registration with CIPO is what the strongest enforcement, including the criminal offences, attaches to.
- Commercial-scale sale or distribution of goods with a registered trademark, without consent, and with knowledge, is an offence (Trademarks Act s. 51.01). Not every unregistered use.
- Border detention for trademarks was not re-read on 1 October 2026.
Patents — Strong but expensive
- Must be applied for and granted. The exclusive right runs from the grant (Patent Act s. 42). No automatic patent.
- Infringement liability is civil damages (s. 55). Section 75's offences are false marking and offering an unpatented article as patented, not infringement itself.
Industrial Designs — Moderate
- The exclusive right comes from registration (Industrial Design Act s. 9).
- The remedies section was not re-read on 1 October 2026.
Trade Secrets — Weak in Canada
- Canada is the only G7 country without a federal Trade Secrets Act. Not re-checked on 1 October 2026. A Justice Laws search returned no such Act; that is not proof none exists.
- Protection relies on: common law (breach of confidence), your contracts (NDAs), your internal security.
- If a vendor steals your client list and there is no strong contract, recovery is difficult and expensive.
3. Red Flags in Vendor Contracts
When reviewing a vendor agreement, verify the following. A "No" to any is a stop sign:
| Checkpoint | elect-rix Position |
|---|---|
| Does the contract specify YOU own the deliverables? | Yes — always, unless otherwise negotiated |
| Is there a clear confidentiality / NDA clause? | Yes — in writing, binding on all staff |
| Does the vendor reserve "background IP" rights? | Declared upfront; never hidden |
| Are subcontractors bound by the same rules? | Yes — chain-of-trust enforced |
| Data destruction / return upon termination? | Yes — written instruction executed |
| Access controls and version control in place? | Yes — documented and auditable |
4. How elect-rix Protects Client IP
Our operational architecture is designed around one principle: your IP should never be easier to steal than it is to build.
1. Contractual Architecture
- Default: Client owns all deliverables. elect-rix retains no hidden lien.
- Background IP (pre-existing tools) declared in writing before work begins.
- NDA / confidentiality binding on principals and any subcontractor.
2. Access Control
- Need-to-know basis. Client repositories and environments isolated.
- No shared credentials. Two-factor authentication enforced.
- Work product developed in client-controlled environments wherever possible.
3. Documentation & Provenance
- Version control (Git) with signed commits.
- Creation dates immutably logged.
- No shadow copies outside the agreed repository.
4. Subcontractor Governance
- No undisclosed outsourcing. Any subcontractor named, bound, and supervised.
- Equivalent confidentiality enforced down the chain.
5. Termination Hygiene
- Upon contract end: all client data returned or destroyed per written instruction.
- No retained copies in personal drives, email, or unsecured storage.
5. How elect-rix Protects Its Own IP
We apply the same standards to ourselves that we recommend to clients:
| Asset | Protection Measure |
|---|---|
| elect-rix Brand | Trade name registered provincially (NB); federal trademark planned |
| Proprietary Code | Copyright automatic upon creation (Canadian law); private repositories, signed commits |
| Client Engagements | NDA + access control enforced per engagement; need-to-know access, no shared credentials |
| Build Infrastructure | Self-hosted, air-gapped capable; AI-assisted development, human-reviewed output |
6. Government Contract Readiness
Public-sector procurement demands proof of security, sovereignty, and accountability. The full compliance stack — data residency, supply-chain integrity, personnel accountability, compliance alignment, and Canadian jurisdiction — is documented on the Safety & Compliance page. The short version:
- Sovereign data, sovereign infrastructure. Client data resides in Canada by default; workstations are in New Brunswick.
- Verifiable builds. Deterministic Astro + Bun + Tailwind output, dependencies pinned, git history as the audit trail.
- Named accountability. One Canadian principal, no hidden subcontractors.
- Canadian law. Contracts governed by New Brunswick / Canadian law; no offshore arbitration.
7. Your Action Checklist
Use this checklist with any vendor, including elect-rix. The full 10-point procurement version lives on the Safety & Compliance page.
- ☐ Ownership: Does the contract state you own the deliverables?
- ☐ Confidentiality: Written NDA or confidentiality clause?
- ☐ Subcontractors: Named and bound?
- ☐ Termination: Data return / destruction specified?
- ☐ Jurisdiction: Dispute resolution in Canadian venue?
- ☐ Insurance: E&O / cyber liability coverage?
- ☐ Gov Readiness: Data residency, chain-of-trust, accessibility?
8. What to Do If You Suspect IP Theft
Step 1 — Preserve Evidence
Screenshot, archive, log timestamps. Do NOT confront the suspect in a way that tips them off.
Step 2 — Document the Chain of Custody
List every person who had access. Map what was taken and when.
Step 3 — Notify Your Legal Counsel
Civil remedies (injunction, damages) require prompt action. Criminal complaints go to RCMP / CBSA.
Step 4 — Contact CBSA (for counterfeit goods at border)
File a Request for Assistance (RFA) — no fee. CBSA can detain shipments for 5–10 days while you seek a court order.
Step 5 — Secure Your Remaining Assets
Rotate credentials, revoke access, audit repositories.
Glossary
Disclaimer
This document is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. elect-rix.tech is a technology consultancy, not a law firm. For specific legal matters, consult a qualified Canadian intellectual property lawyer. Re-read 1 October 2026 against the Justice Laws consolidations dated 28 September 2026: Copyright Act ss. 5, 34, 44.02 and 53; Trademarks Act s. 51.01; Patent Act ss. 42, 55 and 75; Industrial Design Act s. 9. The trade-secrets comparison, including the G7 sentence, was not re-checked. The trade-name line on the Safety page was not touched.
Questions?
For questions about this advisory, our IP practices, or government contract readiness:
contact@elect-rix.techelect-rix.tech — Integrity. Loyalty. Honesty. — Tested.