Yes, I think that's definitely a consideration.
Patents are a tool within an IP strategy, but there are others, trade secrets being a large one and utilizing software being another.
Sophisticated growth companies that are exporting globally have an IP strategy, and I think sometimes we use “IP strategy” and “patent” as synonymous when they are not. There are some things that won't pass patents, and for some things, frankly, data strategies coupled with high-quality IP strategies might supersede a single patent.
The goal for companies younger than ours would be to have an IP strategy. Often a patent might be non-accessible from a cost perspective. Understanding what you're working on and where the value resides today or could reside in the future is an imperative to ensuring our public investments. It concerns me when I see leakage, especially outside of Canada, in our vast public investments and they end up outside the country. That's not just from a prosperity perspective. There are some security considerations there.
Thanks for the question.