Innovation appears once the idea evolves into the design and creation of prototypes, that is, when a form of commercialization is structured for the product or service. Before this, according to the literature reviewed, it is only referred to as an invention. The latter has as its main purpose to create value, which does not necessarily means turning it into income for the creator.
Thus, there are several stages and processes linked so that the idea and its conceptualization reach the commercialization of a product. Through the following figure, these processes and stages are clarified, within the evolutionary process, which starts with the invention and ends with the innovation.
Therefore, while the idea matures and migrates to a concrete, packageable and marketable solution, it is necessary to safeguard and secure its Intellectual Property for different reasons:
All forms of IP protection provide the possibility of obtaining some kind of economic benefit. However, these benefits are not immediate, to obtain them, their owners must exploit them through different types of commercial agreements. Among these, we can mention licensing or right assignment agreements
The existence of a system of protection for intellectual property promotes competition among companies, resulting in new and better products that contribute to progress in the welfare and quality of life of society in general.
Throughout a process of technological innovation there must be a correct management of intellectual property instruments in order to minimize risks and opt to obtain reasonable benefits in proportion to the resources invested.
At the international level, developing countries are able to benefit from the protection of intellectual property if they have a product or technology that can be commercialized abroad. There is a possibility of protecting intellectual property at the international level, otherwise, there is a risk that the technology will be copied and exploited by another company.