Intellectual property was raised in the House of Commons yesterday, though both the question and the answer are a little difficult to understand:
Mr. Robert Vincent (Shefford, BQ):
Mr. Speaker, copyright infringement costs between $20 billion and $30 billion annually in losses to our businesses. For example, Polyform in my riding holds a patent for an insulating foam, and its innovation has been copied by another company. Obtaining a patent is expensive, but defending it in court costs even more. The Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology recommends amending the legislation on intellectual property. What is the Minister of Industry waiting for to provide better protection for intellectual property and give this legislation more teeth?
Hon. Maxime Bernier (Minister of Industry, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his question. We are concerned about what my colleague has just said. I am waiting for detailed recommendations from the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology in order to continue our study of all the recommendations.
Geek
When did copyright and patent become interchangeable?