Internationalization

The following resources are designed to assist the process of researching international markets:

Overview
International Regulations
Government Resources
- Government Programs
- International Market Profiles
Intellectual Property Rights

Overview

The international life sciences sector is experiencing exponential growth. International commercialization, however, may be complicated by the inconsistencies that exist in the global environment for the life sciences sector. Regulations and procedures for commercializing life-sciences-derived products abroad may be significantly different from domestic commercialization procedures. In addition, intellectual property rights may be inadequate, unenforced, or completely non-existent. Also, there may not be a market for the product, or the economic climate may be unfavourable. Therefore, a significant amount of research should be carried out in order to deal with the complexities that exist in foreign markets.

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International Regulations

The international regulatory environment for the life sciences sector can be researched using the following resources:

BIOTrack provides information on the status of the international harmonization of regulatory oversight in biotechnology, regulatory developments in member countries and databases of field trials and products.
BIOTrack's database of regulatory information is searchable by country.

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Government Resources

The following Government of Canada initiatives are aimed at promoting Canada's international presence and facilitating international trade for Canadians.

Government Programs

• Export Development Canada
• International Business Opportunities Centre
• Canadian Commercial Corporation
• Team Canada - exportsource.ca
• Canadian Business Service Centres - Trade
• Agri-Food Trade Service
• Canadian International Development Agency
• DFAIT - Virtual Trade Commissioner
• Health Canada - International Affairs - International Business and Development
• Trade Facilitation Office Canada
• Canada's Innovation Portal - Finding Funds and Partners
• Trade Data Online - Reports on Canada's trade with over 200 countries
• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - Trade Service

International Market Profiles

• Industry Canada - Trade and Investment by Country
• Exportsource.ca - Country Reports

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Intellectual Property Rights

Historically, divergent intellectual property laws have deterred firms from commercializing their products in international markets. Companies often fear that inadequate protection laws may result in the duplication of their invention by a domestic organization.

This situation was improved by the introduction of the World Trade Organization's (WTO) agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), as well as treaties and agreements aimed at harmonizing intellectual property rights among countries.

International Intellectual Property Treaties - Industry Canada lists the treaties Canada has signed.

United States Patent and Trademark Office provides comprehensive information concerning international intellectual property protection.

LLRX.com provides a research article entitled Researching Intellectual Property Law in an International Context that outlines all aspects of international intellectual property law, including a summary of relevant agreements, treaties, and legislation, and links to the intellectual property offices of many countries.

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