TY - JOUR T1 - Why Intellectual Property Will Not Save the Canadian Economy JF - Open Source Business Resource Y1 - 2010 A1 - David J. French AB - Notwithstanding public statements by many individuals, obtaining intellectual property (IP) rights is not the objective that will allow Canadian industry to thrive in the future. The objective for each company should be identifying and delivering relevant innovations that will appeal to consumers and which will also survive in the high-pressure environment of world competition. Surviving in business in the future will increasingly become more of a challenge due to the increasing competence of foreign competitors. Establishing IP rights is a bonus that can make a few companies richer than they would otherwise have been. But most winners will succeed because of their focus on a consumer-based target objective - delivering customer-satisfying products at prices that will displace competitive alternatives - and not because of IP. Obtaining IP rights should not displace the focus from providing value to customers. To survive, that value should be sufficiently innovative so as to place companies ahead of competitors. Businesses will have to continue to innovate in order to stay ahead of competitors. If some businesses can acquire the comfort of meaningful IP protection, that will be a plus. However, a business has to have good fundamentals to survive and to thrive. PB - Talent First Network CY - Ottawa UR - http://timreview.ca/article/396 IS - November 2010 U1 - Second Counsel Services David J. French is a Canadian attorney with 35 years of experience practicing Intellectual Property law in the Province of Ontario and before the Canadian and United States Patent and Trademark Offices. In 2010, he became the CEO of Second Counsel Services, an Ottawa-based business that provides in-house workshops, guidance, and training in the understanding and management of Intellectual Property. He is currently writing a book, 101 Truths About Patents and welcomes feedback to David.French@secondcounsel.com about what readers would like to know about patents and any aspect of intellectual property. ER -