The 21st century will come to be known as the innovative century. This is not to say that the spirit of innovation did not exist before. The previous centuries served as building blocks for where we stand in innovation today. The intensity with which companies and individuals exert that spirit now is much stronger. Disruptive innovations, which use to come around every fifty years, now occur on a yearly basis.
We have seen new ideas and new products come to life every day. We welcome them and even ask for more. People create and invent almost all day long for all kind of reasons: financial gain, necessity, curiosity, you name it. It has almost become a race. Who will find the next gadget that will improve the way we use our phones? Who will make the new movie that will stay in the box office for months? Who will compose the new album that will be playing on the radio all day long? Who will invent the new plane that will takes us wherever we want to go in less time?
With that same desire to create, we want to protect our newfound ideas or products. The protection of one’s innovation has become so crucial that it measures the innovation itself.
Buying or merging companies has become a game of Intellectual Property activities. As a matter of fact, most companies embody their innovations in their Intellectual Property, which makes us think that innovation and Intellectual Property go hand in hand. The more we patent, trademark or copyright, the more we feel we can succeed, which is one explanation for the number of start-up companies we have in this country. Owning some Intellectual Property helps small and big companies strengthen the belief that they have something valuable. The value of some companies is determined by the number of patents or trademarks the company owns. It has become common to hear people say that they own patents, trademarks or copyrights, whether it be 2 or 300.
We are grateful for all of these geniuses who breathe innovation like they breathe air. They make the world a better place and our lives better and easier. We want them to enjoy all the Intellectual Property rights that come with their innovation and invention.