Irwin Law. “The Canadian Online Legal Dictionary.” Welcome to Irwin Law’s Canadian Online Legal Dictionary | Irwin Law. Accessed February 27, 2014. http://www.irwinlaw.com/cold.
patent (s.v. "patent"): A term used here to denote a patent for invention, an exclusive right granted to work new inventions. It is sometimes called "letters patent," from the Latin litterae patentes ("open letters"), meaning that the royal seal was placed at the bottom of the document, making the document a public record open for all to see. The Patent Act still defines "patent" as "letters patent for an invention," being one species of the genus of letters patent, which at various times covered franchises, land grants, honours, and company incorporations. (†401)
trust (s.v. "trusts"): [LAW] An arrangement under which money or other property is held by one person, often a trust company, for the benefit of another person or persons. These assets are administered according to the terms of the trust agreement. Each province has a trustee act, which regulates the kinds of investments that can be made by the trustees of a trust fund. (†404)
