Just as the internet has led to some new new challanges for intellectual property rights – in addition to file sharing – we may also need to accept that collaboration over the web may create a new form of intellectual property (there are a few suggestions on the IPA website on this etc) Of course IPR is vital for many industries (and individuals) including creative and media – also pharmaceuticals – but I think there is a good question as to whether UK legislation (say for Patents initiated about 1907) and of course updated since is now, in reality, in need of a more fundamental examination in light of the web practices. I am not for one minute questioning new legislation – but is there now a new and emerging IPR and could that be uniquely regulated in some way and what is its economic significance? I am ploughing through some of the legislation and global convetions – and EU policy on innovation – I will post an article on my blog when I have done this.

ps I am also considering SMEs – puting in place say patent protection round the world is costly; perhaps too costly for some; it also takes a long time – we seem to be talking years in fact. I have a question here – what is the economic impact of this and what would be the economic impact of accelerating the pace of patents and in making it faster – if this were possible? Dont need to be an expert in econometrics to model the cost of each year within the lifecycle of an investment programme – establish the whole life cost and then plug in the improved NPV for acceleration. I remember that there is an ISO stadard here already.