Feature Member - Benoît & Côté

WADE Canada welcomes Benoît & Côté to its membership! Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Benoît & Côté view their client's Intellectual Property from a strategic viewpoint. Viewing their client's Intellectual Property (IP) in their business context creates revenues, business opportunities, enhances return on investment (ROI), and reduces risks. Benoît & Côté thrives on being their client's partner to integrate their IP into their business strategy development while turning their ideas into assets.

Benoît & Côté is looking for clients that need an IP business partner and are considering to invest in selected businesses of their clients. Their clients have a global business strategy and are looking for Benoît & Côté to contribute to its IP aspect. Approaching IP with a business focus, networking and complimentary activities; Benoît & Côté's clients maximize their return on investments. "Any IP asset (trademark, patent, industrial design, etc.) can be compared to an apartment building with units for rent. If a building owner uses one apartment for themself and does not rent the other apartments, they are not fully benefiting from an asset that could generate revenues. The same can be said about an IP asset; an IP owner can use that asset in their market while awarding licenses in other markets. Benoît & Côté have been successful in introducing complimentary companies to benefit from our client's IP asset," explains Marc Benoît.

Benoît & Côté secure IP rights for innovations in the DE industry. They believe that the temporary monopoly granted for innovations with secured IP rights provide companies with a competitive advantage, which is not available to commodity companies. Canadian DE industry companies with innovative products and services need a competitive advantage to be well equipped to compete in today's business reality.

In order to overcome challenges facing the industry, Benoît & Côté believe:

Benoît & Côté's team of patent specialists are experts in all major technical fields, such as mechanical, chemical and electrical engineering, chemistry, biochemistry, pharmaceutical, microbiology and biotechnology. The professional team also includes a Quebec and Paris Bar lawyer with expertise in trademarks, negotiations and IP contracts (licences, distribution, franchise, non-disclosure agreement, IP due diligences and IP clause for employment contract). IP includes patent, trademark, industrial design, trade secret, know-how, integrated circuit topography and plant breeders' right certificate, among others.

In an ideal world, the DE industry would be well supported by the Canadian Government for its Research & Development and Intellectual Property protection of its innovations.

"In a nutshell, innovation is the driving force of the DE industry; hence the government supports its development costs. The government recognizes that innovations with secured IP rights provide an edge to its owner and supports Canadian companies in strategically positioning themselves with a monopoly in a global economy. Accordingly, in an ideal world, the government supports companies for securing IP rights to their innovations as much as it supports its development. They go hand in hand. Furthermore, any unprotected innovation is free to be used by any competitors and the development costs end up being wasted as it does not contribute to provide a monopoly and hence a competitive advantage over competitors. South Korea provides a great case study. The government position in South Korea is such that it helps innovators in securing IP rights for their innovations by providing financial incentives. Over a ten year period, the economy of South Korea has burst and innovations have fostered in all technical fields; unemployment is now at its lowest and exportations are at their highest" contributes France Côté.