Conference Board of Canada report: Intellectual Property in the 21st Century

Conference Board of Canada report: Intellectual Property in the 21st Century

The Conference Board of Canada has just released the report of Adjunct Professor Ruth Corbin on “Intellectual Property in the 21st Century.”   Dr. Corbin is an Adjunct Professor of Intellectual Property at Osgoode Hall Law School, and Managing Partner of CorbinPartners Inc., a marketing science firm with a specialty practice in intellectual property valuation and expert evidence for litigation.  She is the author of the Butterworth text, “Survey Evidence and the Law Worldwide,” and has been named among the Top 100 Women in Canada for her work in forensic market research.

Professors Giuseppina D’Agostino and Carys Craig were among the experts whose input was recognized. 

The Conference Board released the report with an expression of “hope that this report will elevate the debate and make a valuable contribution to the policy discussion about intellectual property rights in Canada.”  Directed towards policy makers, researchers, intellectual property owners, and corporations, the report explores the links between innovation, economic competitiveness and intellectual property rights.  It identifies policy issues for trademarks, patents and copyright. 

On the much-publicized matter of copyright reform, it concludes that Canada is moving inexorably towards ratification of WIPO Internet treaties.  The report calls for integrated government leadership, more proactive corporate governance by Boards of Directors, and a better foundation of measurement to support the heated policy debates about IP.  The analysis is supported by an authoritative literature review.

The report is featured this week at the top of the list of recommended reading in Industry Canada’s “Learning and Knowledge Centre,” and the most frequently downloaded report from Conference Board’s e-library.  Read it here.