As technological developments multiply around the globe - even as the patenting of human genes comes under serious discussion - nations, companies, and researchers find themselves in conflict over intellectual property rights (IPRs). Now, an international group of experts presents the first multidisciplinary look at IPRs in an age of explosive growth in science and technology. This thought-provoking volume offers an update on current international IPR negotiations and includes case studies on software, computer chips, optoelectronics, and biotechnology - areas characterized by high development cost and easy reproducibility. The volume covers these and other issues: modern economic theory as a basis for approaching international IPRs; U.S. intellectual property practices versus those in Japan, India, the European Community, and the developing and newly industrializing countries; trends in science and technology and how they affect IPRs; and pros and cons of a uniform international IPRs regime versus a system reflecting national differences.