Innovation and Intellectual Property
Innovation and Intellectual Property
In the world of intellectual property, there are plenty of technicalities to wrap the mind around. Sometimes, though, the basics are just as important. Among the most important is the reciprocal relationship between intellectual property and innovation. Previous posts discussed things like patents, copyrights, and trademarks as critical components to effective I.P. protection, but the upshot of these is the need and value of innovation. Innovation impacts consumers, promotes fierce competition, and, as we’ve seen through the years, has the ability to change the world.
Consumer behavior is propelled largely by innovation. Most companies tout innovation as a driving force in their advancement, but the ones that tangibly apply stand to gain the most. When we hear innovation, we primarily think of the enhancement of consumer goods and services, and that is surely important. But for the business leader, of equal importance is the innovation of the business model and process design. As Forbes describes, innovation is the common denominator among businesses that have survived and even thrived even through a pandemic. Consumer behavior continues its trend toward products and services that promote transparency, safety, sustainability, and efficiency. Digital capabilities, for the vast majority of consumers, is a now a prerequisite. Innovating in all of these ways requires consideration of intellectual property, as well as that of other companies. But a commitment to doing so continues to pay off exponentially.
Innovation fosters competition, and competition fosters innovation. Nowhere has this been more evident than in the decades-long tech battle between Apple and Microsoft. Beginning in the early 1980s, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates were mutually respected contemporaries until Jobs accused Gates of leveraging Macintosh technology for a Microsoft creation. This spawned the battle of the home computer market. In some cases, like when Apple need Microsoft technology for some early applications, or when they partnered to develop Internet Explorer and MS Office for the Mac, they were like brothers who fought for their parents’ affection but also depended on each other for growth. Microsoft raised the stakes with its Windows series in the 90s, but Apple responded with innovations like the iPod, iTunes, iPhones, and iPads in the 2000s. Microsoft has found more recent success in video game innovation and touch screen computers, and is developing a new android phone, while Apple has smartwatches, blue tooth earbuds, a new groundbreaking phone every year, and unshakeable brand loyalty. Both brands are wildly successful, and each owes that success to the other.
The competition between Apple and Microsoft was part of a broader groundswell of technology that truly changed the world. The most notable innovation is the Internet. From the days of dial up, your first email composition, and scattered content, to an ability to communicate around the world, conduct quick research on any subject, consume constant entertainment, purchase everything, complete all levels of education, and run a business, all via a pocket-sized device, the effects of innovation are breathtaking, life-changing, and undeniably linked to the preservation of intellectual property.