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Chapter 36
Property Rights in the New Economy
W.G. Park (American University)
As e-commerce expanded, the legal definition of intellectual
property expanded as
well, spurring increased intellectual property activity in new industries.
The legal definition of invention, for example, has expanded to include
computer software and methods of doing business on the internet. Whether
these developments are good for the new economy has generated much controversy.
This chapter provides some background material and issues to consider.
The following questions are addressed:
1) How are new economy technologies (such as software and internet innovations)
protected?
2) What is the state of intellectual property laws pertaining to these
new technologies? How
significant is intellectual property activity in these new industries?
3) Are intellectual property rights (IPRs) appropriate for new economy
technologies?
4) What public policy reforms would improve the quality of IPRs in the
new economy?
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