Patents, as one of the few quantifiable outputs of research, are increasingly being used as an indicator of the less quantifiable—innovation, and the competitiveness that is assumed to spring from innovation—on the grounds that these, too, are outputs of research. The part that patents...

The Esprit Programme is the oldest and largest of the European Commission's research and development programmes. Collaboration among participants is fundamental to all the projects that it supports. This collaboration is justified in terms of benefits for innovation, yet the very formal...

In theory, small and medium firms have much to gain from the intellectual property rights system: in practice, SMEs have trouble using the IPR system. Yet the developing world is encouraged by the developed to look to IPR to make its SMEs more innovative and hence competitive. If SMEs are to...