Hot Property: The Stealing of Ideas in an Age of Globalization
Amazing how quickly time flies. All of last month was spent studying for the LSAT, hence the lack of posts, and, albeit, reading of books.
However, I did manage to squeeze in an excellent, mind-blowing book by Pat Choate. For those of you politically minded, the name may sound familiar as Ross Perot selected him to be his vis presidential running mate. Makes we wonder know what the world would be like if Ross Perot had actually won the election.
Anyway, this is an amazingly shocking, well written book that covers the history of Intellectual Property (IP) and the challenges it faces today with technology and the quickly developing world. From pharmaceuticals to aircraft engine parts to DVDs and CDs. From the first patent to the first patent lawsuit to globalization and the challenges it brings to IP protection, and lack there of. This book covers all the bases while making an argument.
He clearly makes an argument that government has let inventors suffer, and not taken a stronger stance on the international stage to protect its own. Talks with China, for example, inevitably lead to the United States giving advanced information with nothing in return. Sometimes information is being outright stolen, and the red tape to fight it is thicker and longer than the Great Wall of China.
Turns out, this is nothing new. America's Industrial Revolution came courteously from information stolen from England. China's rise of industrial strength has come from the United States and Europe. China has discovered that it can send its people to the US to study, and they return with ideas that further develop China's industry and economy. What is surprising, however, is that China turns out more science students than the US. For every 1 US engineer, there are 10 Chinese engineers. And these 10 Chinese engineers need jobs, are willing to work for less pay than American counter parts and what company would not want to get more work, better work, for less money?
This book says what we all think from time to time, and traces the development of this country's strong IP laws and the ramifications of IP in a age of globalization.
The book blew my mind, and made me absolutely fascinated by IP, which makes law school all the more attractive.
If you want to learn something, if you're curious, if you don't have the faintest idea what IP is or what in the world it has to do with you or why you should care: read this book. You will think twice before getting on an airplane, turning the engine on in your car or swallowing the prescription pill you have been taking for as long as you can remember.
Rating: G$_G$_G$_G$
However, I did manage to squeeze in an excellent, mind-blowing book by Pat Choate. For those of you politically minded, the name may sound familiar as Ross Perot selected him to be his vis presidential running mate. Makes we wonder know what the world would be like if Ross Perot had actually won the election.
Anyway, this is an amazingly shocking, well written book that covers the history of Intellectual Property (IP) and the challenges it faces today with technology and the quickly developing world. From pharmaceuticals to aircraft engine parts to DVDs and CDs. From the first patent to the first patent lawsuit to globalization and the challenges it brings to IP protection, and lack there of. This book covers all the bases while making an argument.
He clearly makes an argument that government has let inventors suffer, and not taken a stronger stance on the international stage to protect its own. Talks with China, for example, inevitably lead to the United States giving advanced information with nothing in return. Sometimes information is being outright stolen, and the red tape to fight it is thicker and longer than the Great Wall of China.
Turns out, this is nothing new. America's Industrial Revolution came courteously from information stolen from England. China's rise of industrial strength has come from the United States and Europe. China has discovered that it can send its people to the US to study, and they return with ideas that further develop China's industry and economy. What is surprising, however, is that China turns out more science students than the US. For every 1 US engineer, there are 10 Chinese engineers. And these 10 Chinese engineers need jobs, are willing to work for less pay than American counter parts and what company would not want to get more work, better work, for less money?
This book says what we all think from time to time, and traces the development of this country's strong IP laws and the ramifications of IP in a age of globalization.
The book blew my mind, and made me absolutely fascinated by IP, which makes law school all the more attractive.
If you want to learn something, if you're curious, if you don't have the faintest idea what IP is or what in the world it has to do with you or why you should care: read this book. You will think twice before getting on an airplane, turning the engine on in your car or swallowing the prescription pill you have been taking for as long as you can remember.
Rating: G$_G$_G$_G$
posted by Gwynne at
7:36 PM
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