Patents aim to reconcile a socio-economic necessity – support for the creation and diffusion of new technology – with the interests of the inventor. This is the principle on which a patent can be obtained to protect an invention with an industrial application. But the combined forces of globalisation and technological progress are beginning to undermine the effectiveness of patents. Differences between national systems make patenting an increasingly complex and costly exercise for inventors. What impacts will such differences have on the international system of innovation? This article discusses this question.
