Early Twentieth-Century Canadian Medical Patent Law in Practice: James Bertram Collip and the Discovery of Emmenin

Abstract

In the 1930s, James Bertram Collip (1892–1965) purified, standardized, and then commercialized the hormone Emmenin at McGill University. This focused history of Collip's development of Emmenin considers how Collip used (and avoided) the legal tools of intellectual property to his advantage, given his complicated place as a scientist/business person/academic/physician inventor in the inter-war era. Collip's story is significant as a case study as it lends nuance to the picture of the Canadian inventor, shows the daring foresight of early Canadian commercialization business models, and explores the influences that eventually led to the development of university technology transfer offices in Canada. It also highlights germinal moments in the negotiation of standardized agreements and university–industry partnerships. Ultimately, this paper contributes to the task of filling out the history of the development of legal norms regarding intellectual property in Canada by exploring sources outside of case law and legislation to tell a rich story of invention, ownership, and profit.