Intellectual property rights have, in fact, been a part of the American pantheon of types of property rights since the very beginning of the nation, but using that term to describe them is a new phenomenon dating to the second half of the last century. The recognition of the importance of protection of intellectual property rights became extremely important and distinctly more difficult as new technologies made it possible for unscrupulous "intellectual property pirates" to purloin, steal, or otherwise make off with the intellectual property of the unaware. This book introduces you to the...