So while we have strong patent laws, we've neglected many of the other things, the complementary assets that make innovation possible, such as having home-grown ability to enter into distribution channels; bundling different types of technology to be able to buy it and put it together and have the science to be able to do that; expertise in taking innovations through the regulatory system, not only in Canada but internationally; and of course financing. We spend a lot of time talking about patent law, looking at the minutiae, and saying, “Well, in this one little area, we're not as good as them”, ignoring the big picture, which is that you can fiddle around al
l you want with the patent system ...[+++], but if you don't concentrate on the complementary assets, you don't have an innovation system.
Ainsi, même si nos lois en la matière sont solides, nous avons négligé bien d'autres facteurs, les éléments complémentaires qui rendent l'innovation possible, comme la capacité auto-acquise d'intégrer des chaînes de distribution; la fusion de plusieurs types de technologies pour pouvoir en faire l'acquisition, amalgamer le tout et disposer ainsi de la science habilitante; le savoir-faire permettant de soumettre les innovations au régime de réglementation non seulement au Canada, mais à l'étranger; et, évidemment, le financement.