…have outpaced global economic growth and have generated an estimated $180 billion in revenue a year, according to a Report from WIPO, the UN World Intellectual Property Organization. The Report estimates that royalties and licensing fee revenue soared from $2.8 billion in 1970 to $27 billion in 1990 and then $180 billion in 2009. (WIPO) views growing demand for such rights as stimulating innovation at businesses worldwide. Diplomatically Incorrect as well as Film Annex have been beneficiaries and exploited this creative and technological trend: Read – “Sustainability on the Web-Show me the Money” - www.filmannexcorp.com/blog/bid/99460/Financial-Sustainability-On-the-Web-Show-Me-the-Money. New intermediaries have emerged in the market, such as IP brokerages and clearing houses, WIPO says, adding that companies are also trading and licensing IP rights more frequently. Content & Technology: “Evidence shows that knowledge markets enable firms to specialize, allowing them to be more innovative and efficient at the same time. In addition, they allow firms to control which knowledge to guard and which to share so as to maximize learning – a key element of modern open innovation strategies,” according to WIPO. Read by Michael Sweeney - www.filmannexcorp.com/blog/bid/98355/Sysomos-on-YouTube-They-forgot-it-is-hard-to-make-money-on-YouTube . WIPO asserts development/growth has been especially strong in complex technologies, or technologies consisting of multiple patentable inventions. However, in some industries, such as telecommunications, software and optics, where companies have strategically built up large patent portfolios, overlapping patent rights could slow innovation in the future. Opportunities in Poor & Rich Countries: “The technological gap between richer and poorer countries is narrowing,” Report points out. “Incremental and more local forms of innovation contribute to economic and social development, on a par with world-class technological innovations.” (Read: “Connectedness Translates to Prosperity” - diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/blog_post/connectedness-translates-to-prosperity-by-ambassador-mo/41754 More Research & Development: Many countries have put in place policies to harness public research for innovation. Such policies may incentivize patenting by university and “public research organizations” and subsequent commercial development of their inventions. There has been a marked increase in patent applications by these organizations. University and “public research organizations” filings under the WIPO’s Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) have grown from close to zero in the 1980s to more than 15,000 in 2010. High-income economies account for most of this growth – notably France, Germany, Japan, the UK and the US. Many middle income countries though have also seen marked growth. CHINA Gaining LEADERSHIP: In developing countries universities and research institutions, China leads followed by Brazil, India and South Africa. In the case of PROs, China and India alone represent 78 percent of total fillings from middle-income countries. High-income countries still dominate global R&D spending but the geography of innovation is shifting. Global R&D expenditures almost doubled in real terms from 1993 to 2009. Most R&D spending still takes place in high-income countries – approximately 70% of global total. Such countries spend around 2.5 % of their gross domestic product (GDP) on R&D, more than double the rate of middle-income economies. Low- and middle-income economies have increased their share of global R&D expenditure by 13% between 1993 and 2009. China accounts for most of this increase – more than 10% – propelling China to the world’s second largest R&D spender in 2009. (Read: diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/blog_post/obama-china-on-currency-trade-by-ambassador-mo/41743). According to the Report: “Evidence exists that innovation has become more collaborative and open, but assessing the true scale and importance of new approaches is difficult to ascertain. It is difficult to draw a clear distinction between open innovation strategies and long-standing collaborative practices, such as joint R&D, joint marketing or strategic partnerships. For another, certain elements of open innovation strategies – such as new policies internal to firms or informal knowledge exchanges – cannot easily be traced. Society usually benefits from such collaboration as it enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of the innovation process.” In my opinion, that last sentence tells the story and future of development of intellectual property and innovation – technology and content- and its broader societal and global implications. By Ambassador Muhamed Sacirbey Facebook – Become a Fan at “Diplomatically Incorrect” Twitter – Follow us at DiplomaticallyX "International Financial Crisis" Channel - diplomaticallyincorrect.org/c/international-financial-crisis