Inventors, Innovations and Intellectual Property

With the U.S. economy thriving and advanced by an information revolution, the once staid subject of intellectual property has received greater public attention.The financial impact of such knowledge-based products as computer programs, pharmaceuticals, and even entertainment-related goods (films, video games, etc.) has increased awareness of the laws and principles that protect their producers. Much recent debate on the topic has spanned a wide gamut—from the legitimacy of software patents and the public health implications of owning genetic information to online swapping of digital music and software.