The book provides a panoramic but detailed view of the world’s intellectual property system that embraces socioeconomic, cultural and technological development in its scope, clarifying the pitfalls and challenges that the system presents even as it promises to improve the quality of life on our planet. The authors both internationally respected and honoured for their work in elucidating the economic necessity of an intellectual property system that can inspire universal confidence, emphasize the imperative of international competiveness in knowledge-based technology. In their orderly presentation of the key issues that promote the real benefits (not yet achieved) of a truly effective regime of intellectual property rights they discuss such factors as the following: These issues and recommendations and more are all discussed in a framework that highlights each of the major areas of knowledge in which intellectual property rights are most insistently invoked today, such as the digital economy, e-commerce, Internet domain names, database protection, protection of plant varieties, design of integrated circuits, biotechnology, and nanotechnology. Ultimately, however, this outstanding work’s most important contribution lies in its vision of the organic corporation of governments, institutions, supranational organizations, multinational corporations, small and medium enterprises, and civil society as they collectively fashion a 21st century in which creativity and innovation are enabled to convert knowledge into wealth and social good. For this reason, as well as for its richly detailed treatment of trends and current reality in the field, this new, updated edition of Intellectual Property and Competitive Strategies in the 21stCentury will continue to be read and put to good use by business people, international lawyers, government officials, and interested academics in all parts of the world.