This outstanding text recognizes that students today need to understand intellectual property concepts in the context of a global economy. This unique teaching tool:

- uses engaging cases and offers useful training for potential future employment opportunities

- explores not only the technical aspects of intellectual property rights practice, but also the context in which decisions are made and carried out

- emphasizes that in our tightly integrated international economy, the treatment of intellectual property affects a broad range of social and political interests

- explicitly addresses the importance of technology developments for intellectual property, including how the international intellectual property system may be adapting to pressures for change

- explains the roles of various multilateral organizations in the regulation of intellectual property rights, including the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), and how other regulating organizations, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO), are involved

- analyzes the role of regional organizations such as the European Union (EU), the European Patent Office (EPO), and the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), as well as explaining the network of multilateral and regional trade agreements within the intellectual property rights system, and the mechanisms for the implementation of those agreements

A comprehensive Teacher's Manual includes

- detailed teaching notes

- several sample syllabi

- sample final exam questions and answers