This paper represents a very early stage of a collaborative research project on transnational NT regulation. In this project, we seek to apply a multidisciplinary perspective to the question of regulation of nanotechnology (NT). We begin in Section I by considering the nature of NT and some...

Two critical questions for the regulatory oversight of nanotechnology are: at what level of government should regulation take place, and what form should regulation take? These questions are intrinsically linked. As to the first, it is widely assumed that national governments are the appropriate...

The patent landscape, like a garden, can tell you much about its designers and users; their motivations, biases and general interests. And while both patent landscapes and gardens may appear to the casual observer as refined and ordered, an in depth exploration of the terrain is likely to reveal...

Profs. Kenneth Abbott, Gary Marchant, and Douglas Sylvester argue that regulation of nanotechnology should be flexible and adaptive; innovative; international; and official. In order to meet these requirements, the authors call for negotiation of an international framework convention on...

With nanotechnology now a major funding priority for governments and industry around the world, devising the manner and timing of regulation presents a challenge. Too much regulation too soon could hinder development of beneficial technologies, while too little regulation too late may allow...

As an international policy issue, nanotechnology (NT) presents a unique set of attributes and poses an extraordinary set of regulatory challenges. Given that NT is a major funding priority for governments and industry groups around the world, it is expected to rapidly evolve and advance,...

Like all technologies, nanotechnology will inevitably present risks, whether they result from unintentional effects of otherwise beneficial applications or from the malevolent misuse of technology. Increasingly, risks from new and emerging technologies are being regulated at the international...

In less than a decade, nanotechnology has exploded from a relatively obscure and narrow technical field to a scientific, economic, and public phenomenon. The precipitous emergence of such a broad and significant technology has created an unprecedented opportunity to craft new regulatory or...

Risk management of nanotechnology is challenged by the enormous uncertainties about the risks, benefits, properties, and future direction of nanotechnology applications. Because of these uncertainties, traditional risk management principles such as acceptable risk, cost-benefit analysis, and...

United States statistical programs and practices are among the best in the world. Lurking underneath this success, however, is a riddle - given the potential for abuse and harm, why do Americans willingly hand over their personal information to government data collection programs? In this...