By Marjorie A. Stair, Bureau Chief 
Stair
"Knowledge is only potential power. It becomes power only when, and if, it is organised into definite plans of action and directed to a definite end. This 'missing link' in all systems of education may be found in the failure of educational institutions to teach their students how to organise and use knowledge after they acquire it. An educated man is one who has so developed the faculties of his mind that he may acquire anything that he wants, or its equivalent, without violating the rights of others."
- Napoleon Hill
'Think & Grow Rich'
ONE OF the early demands that the citizens of Jamaica must make of the new government is that of raising the quality of public expenditure.
Too much of our public financial resources have been squandered either through corruption, incompetence, political instead of economic decision making, and dismissing them as 'mistakes' should not be tolerated as citizens are being deprived of both rights and privileges because of the waste. Conflicting education statistics and the debate, for example, as to whether the Jamaican taxpayer should bear the cost of educating all children, or if parents, who can afford it, should contribute directly to the cost of educating their own children might have been good for the political campaign but the new government has to determine what is possible by determining what is affordable.
Regardless of whose figures are right, the poor academic and intellectual performance of Jamaican children, at all levels, not only as compared to other Caribbean countries, but also as compared to what is required for sustained economic growth and survival is cause for major concern. The election is now over, the new government must now face the reality of the true state of knowledge in the country.
Having worked as a research agronomist for some years, I have always been amazed at how much knowledge one gains by simply focusing on a particular subject or issue. I have also always been amazed at the vast encyclopaedia of knowledge that is available on any one subject if one takes the trouble to find it.
I observed, sitting in the departure lounge at the Norman Manley airport, recently, that, of approximately fifty or more people, only three purchased the Sunday paper from the shop in the lounge although most were travelling overseas. This struck me because I had just returned from Washington D.C. where there was a newspaper waiting for me at the door of my hotel room every single morning and where I observed most people on the metro and elsewhere reading newspapers or magazines. This was my first trip out of Jamaica since I started managing The Gleaner's Western Bureau and it struck me that the percentage of papers purchased that Sunday morning was a little less than the average purchased in the country and that people in other countries were reading much more, much, much more than we were.
In the age of knowledge our people, especially our young people, display very little interest in the acquisition of knowledge as compared to other countries. Those of us who have had to employ the graduates of Jamaican institutions realise that many of these graduates come to the work place expecting to be rewarded for having acquired certification instead of for how they will effectively use their acquired knowledge to serve themselves and the organisation and herein lie one of the countries major problems.
Competitive intelligence professionals and Intellectual property rights lawyers are critical to the protection of Intellectual property today. Intellectual property rights will be and must be a critical part of all trade negotiations today and in the future. How is Jamaica, a country of endemic plant species - some of which we have already lost; and of unique products preparing to protect the intellectual property of its citizens? How many of our citizens are even aware of intellectual property and how it can affect our lives, much less to know how to go about ensuring that it is protected?
In a paper, Products of the Mind: Assessment and Protection of Intellectual Property, Jennifer Doviak Brown, a lawyer specialising in intellectual property tells us that: "Businesses invest in developing ideas and information that give them competitive advantage. Without protection of this 'intellectual property', businesses would have little incentive to invest in research, new product development, and process improvements to further their economic situation.
Products of the mind are protected under five main areas of Intellectual Property Rights. These include patents, copyright law, trademarks, trade secrets, and unfair competition. I will examine the different areas in other articles but now take the opportunity to share some information with you.
Barbados, the Caribbean country, is attempting to establish a Web site but is unable to because someone else already has the right to the Web site, www.barbados.com. Two Americans have patented and hold the rights to the
