A Better Mousetrap

Special to Financial Post – Mar 13, 2012, 1:55 PM ET

By Av Utukuri

While 90% of patents are improvements on existing inventions, legal realities can make filing for such patents complicated because intellectual property law is designed to protect existing patent holders. If the invention you are adding something to is one to which you hold the rights, the process is relatively easy.

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Protect this House: The benefits, pitfalls and costs of filing for a patent

Special to Financial Post – Feb 7, 2012, 6:05 AM ET

Patenting your invention is the best way to prevent others from copying it, allowing you to recover the costs of R&D, manufacturing and marketing. If your invention is complex, it will require such protection, but it’s also important to file a patent if your product is easily reverse-engineered. However, not every invention is patentable: ideas that are artistic or do not have a direct practical use will not be considered by the patent office. Here’s a primer on what to expect.

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Toolkit: Protective Custody

Special to Financial Post  – Dec. 6, 2011 – 6:20 AM ET

In the court of law, ideas are free, execution is priceless

There are two aspects of an invention: the first is the idea, the second is the implementation. If you suspect somebody has stolen your idea, the first thing to discover is what was actually stolen. People frequently have “great ideas,” but they also have to have concepts on how to make those ideas work, otherwise they’re no better or protected by the courts than idle thoughts.

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Big Bang Theory

Special to Financial Post – Oct 4, 2011 – 6:05 AM ET

There’s no easy way to know if your idea will succeed

Some of the wackiest business ideas surprisingly succeed, whilst some apparently serious, and on the surface amazing, ideas miserably fail.

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Forward Charge

Andy Holloway  Oct 4, 2011 – 6:35 AM ET

Canada isn’t known for being a nation of entrepreneurial risk-takers despite years of government hand-wringing, yet we still have one of the world’s best developed economies. Should we care we’re not as productive as we could be?

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Ethnic Diversity: ‘New Canadians’ Expand Markets

Published October 13, 2009 – FinancialTimes.com

Nytric, a small product development consultancy in suburban Toronto, owes its existence and growth prospects to Canada’s cultural diversity.

Two-thirds of the company’s 22 staff are foreign-born and speak a broad range of languages that help the company bridge cultures.

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Skilled Immigrants are Key to Business Success

Published Sept. 10, 2009 – Globe and Mail

With the end of the recession in sight, all of Canada’s employers need to be thinking about their long-term talent strategies. A global, competitive marketplace means tapping into and investing in the strengths of all of the country’s work force, including skilled immigrants, so that local economies can grow, compete and prosper.

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Sounds of Triumph – Canadian Bright Ideas Creating Waves Globally

Published April 08, 2009 – itbusiness.ca

Today’s economic recession is one of the best times for smaller Canadian businesses to doggedly pursue new inventions say experts in innovation.

That’s because most of the big players are acting very cautious, cutting back and sticking to the basics, rather than taking a risk with a pricey new product launch.

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Executing Tech Milestones

Published April 7, 2009 – National Post

Start-ups with good products need to demonstrate value to VCs.

The process of valuing early-stage companies is more of an art than science. This is because traditional valuation methodologies require financial data. But another method venture capitalists use to measure value is a firm’s ability to execute technology

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