Thesis: The Chinese economy is best served by a gradual increase in intellectual property right (IPR) protection that corresponds to the growth of its economy. This gradual increase will allow China to become technologically and culturally self-sufficient because contrary to what large American corporations would argue, foreign investment and involvement in the Chinese intellectual property (IP) economy would still be sufficient and China's domestic development would not be unduly restricted.

This book is a collection of essays.  It is very interesting and important for my topic of strengthening IPRs in China because it presents a point of view that is contrary to many of the other books written on IPRs for developing economies.  This book contests that developing economies should not adopt IPR regulations similar to well-developed countries.  More succinctly, “the chapters in Part II suggest that global intellectual property rules may well be an obstacle to development.”
    The essays are generally written in an easy style and all present compelling arguments.  Most essays are written by scholars although some are written by administrators and businessmen with experience in international intellectual property.  The book is broken down into four segments with each segment representing a different aspect of the overall argument.
    The first segment, entitled, “Innovation and Diffusion of Technology” suggests that international IPRs make it difficult for poor countries to receive advanced technology and education, which is in a contradiction to many economists view of IPRs.  The next section, “Development and Access to Technology: Genetics, Health, Agriculture, Education and Information Technology” discusses the current situation in many developing nations and how they use the economic principle of free-riding to their advantage.  It also discusses the fact that developing nations have the capacity to understand and enact versions of IPR laws that are beneficial to them and don’t need assistance in determining their own laws.  The third segment, entitled, “Knowledge and Access: Who Makes the Rules?” argues that international IPR agreements are really just bully tactics enacted by developed nations to coerce weaker countries into adopting the formers’ standards of IPR.  The final part, “Ownership of Knowledge: Changing the Rules” discusses how developing countries have effected TRIPs, the WTO, international IPRs, and their relation to larger countries.
    This book is very valuable for filling out a complete view of IPRs in developing economies.  It presents an alternative view to most economic arguments and, therefore, shows how my thesis would be beneficial at the initial stages of Chinese economic development.  Because the book only discusses developing nations, its thesis falls apart when expanded to nations that have outgrown the “developing nation” status.  This lack of discussion implies that a country that is neither developing nor developed needs an intermediate level of IPR protection, and therefore a gradual increase of IPR protection is necessary.