Esther Dyson: Owning IP Payoff
on Wednesday, July 14, 2021Esther Dyson Money Quote saying Owning IP requires regular investment to get a payoff – instead of simply collecting rent. Esther Dyson said:
“Owning the intellectual property is like owning land: You need to keep investing in it again and again to get a payoff; you can’t simply sit back and collect rent” — Esther Dyson
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In this quote, Esther Dyson is drawing a comparison between intellectual property (IP) and owning land as an asset. She suggests that while land ownership can generate ongoing income through rent collection, intellectual property is not passive in the same way.
Dyson states that with IP, one must continuously “invest in it again and again” through ongoing development, marketing and legal protection in order to “get a payoff” in the form of revenue generation.
Her view is that IP requires active stewardship and further development over time to maintain its value, unlike land which can passively generate income.
The quote conveys Dyson’s message that intellectual property must be nurtured and expanded continually through work in order to yield financial returns, rather than being a static asset from which money can be earned without further effort.