Patents, Profits and Power : How Intellectual Property Rules the Global Economy

The wealth of many businesses comprises the collective knowledge and innovation of the employees and leaders. In the global economy, innovation has become as valuable as gold. Consequently, intellectual property protection has become the focus of considerable legal and regulatory attention, at both an international and national level. Theft, piracy, and infringements on IP can be revealed at every level, from the state to the individual. This work examines the less desirable players on the world stage, why they chose to defy the law, and how the rest of the world is responding. The book also looks at how the Internet is changing the rules of intellectual property protection. It is packed with international case studies and examples to illustrate the impact of the Internet on the development, control and protection of valuable ideas, products and services.