The developed world's initial
advantage has been
maintained by continual
technological innovation
Development brings with it the infrastructure needed for technological advancement
Educated populations, universities and research organisations
Government sponsored research and development
TNCs able to invest in new technologies, develop them and bring them to market
An advanced legal system which protects research from theft and new products from patent infringement
Reliable energy, water, transport, health and communications systems
Building these systems is a major
challenge. Countries such as China,
South Korea and Taiwan have
achieved this by a long-term
commitment to investment in education,
companies and infrastructure
USA
% of age group enrolled in tertiary education (2006)
82
Number of world's 500 largest TNCs (2007)
162
% of population connected to internet (2007)
75
% of GDP spent on R&D/Education (2004)
3/14
Patents in force (2005)
1,214,556
GDP per capita ($)(2005)
41,850
South Korea
% of age group enrolled in tertiary education (2006)
91
% of GDP spent on R&D/Education (2004)
3/5
Number of world's 500 largest TNCs (2007)
14
Patents in force (2005)
353,251
GDP per capita ($)(2005)
22,000
% of population connected to internet (2007)
67
China
% of age group enrolled in tertiary education (2006)
22
% of GDP spent on R&D/Education (2004)
1.5/2
Patents in force (2005)
59,087
Number of world's 500 largest TNCs (2007)
24
GDP per capita ($)(2005)
6,750
% of population connected to internet (2007)
17
Vietnam
% of age group enrolled in tertiary education (2006)
11
Number of world's 500 largest TNCs (2007)
0
% of GDP spent on R&D/Education (2004)
0.2/2
Patents in force (2005)
6
GDP per capita ($)(2005)
3,050
% of population connected to internet (2007)
21
Intellectual property
Intellectual property rights are rights given to people to protect the things they have created using their minds
Copyright - this protects the written word, music,
performance, art and media productions. Normally, copyright
is protected for 50 years after the death of the creator
Industrial property - this protects trademarks, geographical origins, inventions, trade secrets and designs
The inventions component of industrial property is protected by patents. A patent is a legal device to protect the intellectual property of an inventor of a new technology
Patents are usually enforced for 20 years after they are granted
The USA accounts for nearly 40% of new technology patents and roughly the same percentage of global research and development spending
The $288 billion spent on research and development in the USA in 2004 was
equivelant to about half the total GDP for sub-Saharan Africa in the same year
The patent system allows businesses and individuals to benefit from their inventions
The TNC Microsoft, based in Seattle, has often been accused of creating a monopoly
Around 90% of the world's computers use microsoft software
In 2000 the US department of justice brought an anti-trust legal action against
microsoft, accusing it of preventing fair competition by installing internet
explorer alongside the windows operating system in new pcs, making it less
likely that computer users would adopt competitors' internet browser products.
The department of justice argued that this tied users in to using microsoft
products and prevented other software companies from innovating
Microsoft
has
been
fined 1.6
billion
euros in
the EU
Globally the WTO protects intellectual
property rights through the agreement
on trade related aspects of intellectual
property rights of 1944
Software and drugs companies
argue that they need to maintain
high prices in order to cover the
huge costs of research and
development