6/4/2008 9:21:49 AM Canadians Seek Government Leadership on Stronger Intellectual Property Protection: New Environics Study TORONTO (June 4, 2008) – Canadians want strong government leadership on intellectual property (IP) protection, to support their goals of a prosperous, innovative economy and vibrant creative sector, a new Environics Research study has found. The study identified a disconnect involving the “gap between Canadian laws and international standards in the area of counterfeiting, piracy, and illegal downloading,” and widespread public support for such protections in “a country that prides itself on sound citizenship.” The report, “Looking for Leadership: Canadian Attitudes Toward Intellectual Property,” is based on comprehensive national polling data from Environics’ annual Social Values Monitor. Some of the key research findings include: A strong majority (83 percent) of Canadians believe that IP such as software, music, videos and books deserves the same protection from theft as other, more tangible goods. Ninety percent of Canadians agree that “products of the mind” should be protected by strong patent, copyright and trademark laws. “Canadians are looking to government for leadership on this issue and are ready to play by the rules, but they see no evidence of what those rules might be,” said David MacDonald, Group Vice President, Consumer Research, Environics Research Group. “They are waiting for a sound legal and economic framework for the circulation of creative goods in a digital world.” Currently, Canadians operate in a virtual vacuum of regulation or even social standards when it comes to the use and abuse of intellectual property, according to the study. As a result, it found, significant proportions of the Canadian public report having acquired creative goods illegally, despite their support for IP protection. This number is even higher among youth. IP Protection to Foster Economic Growth The survey also found that the vast majority of Canadians (93%) view the creation of IP as essential to Canada's long-term economic growth and prosperity. Furthermore, 82% of respondents agree that IP creators would have little incentive to do so if competitors could copy and sell the creations as their own. “Canadians recognize that in the global information economy, the ability to contribute products of the mind will define Canada's success or failure,” MacDonald said. “Recognizing that piracy-based economies are parasitical in nature, they are looking for government leadership in regulating the circulation of artistic, technological, cultural, and intellectual work in an age of digital change.” Unanimity Across Party Lines, But Not Generations According to the study, there is remarkable unanimity on these issues among Canadians of different political stripes: The largest partisan variance on any of these questions was just six percentage points. However, significant variations were found among the attitudes of young Canadians relative to the overall population. The survey found that youth are considerably more permissive than Canadians overall when it comes to plagiarism and cheating. For example, those aged 15 to 24 are twice as likely (19%) as Canadians overall (10%) to say there is nothing wrong with students copying what they read on the internet and passing it off as their own work. “The strong foundation of respect for IP in Canada may be eroded over time if these conditions persist,” MacDonald said. Beyond Rules, Education Beyond rules, part of the solution appears to lie in education, according to the study. Eight-two percent of respondents agree that government has a responsibility to educate Canadians about the need to respect copyright laws on the Internet. This extends to government’s role in setting ethical standards for young people. MacDonald remarked, “These findings are a wake-up call to government not only to counteract a worrisome trend in youth values, but also to support parents’ efforts to instill respect for ideas, innovation, creativity and hard work in their children.” About the Study and Social Values Survey Methodology The study was prepared independently by Environics Research Group based on national polling data from the 2006 Environics Social Values Monitor. The Environics Social Values Monitor is an annual, syndicated survey of 2,700 Canadians aged 15+. Some questions in the survey were funded by the Canadian Recording Industry Association. The complete study is available at http://erg.environics.net/media_room. About Environics Research Environics is one of Canada’s leading marketing and social survey research firms with a reputation for integrity, accuracy and insight. Co-founded in 1970 by Environics’ president Michael Adams, the firm has evolved into a multi-disciplined international research and consulting group. Headquartered in Toronto, the firm has offices and affiliates in Ottawa, Calgary, Montreal, New York and Washington D.C. Environics is a full-service research firm experienced in conducting telephone surveys, personal in-home interviews, postal surveys, panel studies and focus groups, conducting approximately 2000 focus groups and 250,000 interviews a year. Environics offers its clients a broad array of research, consulting and communications services, from traditional public opinion polling and market research to advanced studies of human values and social change, in addition to consulting to aid our clients’ product design, marketing, communications and human resource strategies. For more information: Susan Seto, Senior Research Associate t: 416-969-2847 e: susan.seto@environics.ca [ Latest News Articles ]       [ View Past Articles ]