CONTENTS WHAT IS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY? Two experts explain the mysteries of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. SUPPORT FOR ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL FREEDOM The former U.S. Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks suggests why it is in every country's interest to establish and maintain an effective intellectual property system. A DEVELOPING COUNTRY'S PERSPECTIVE Intellectual property rights, says a Ghanaian copyright official, galvanize domestic industry while retaining national culture, inventiveness, and creativity. PROGRESS IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY Striking a blow against patent piracy is essential to the future of pharmaceutical research, says a former association executive. A TRADE ASSOCIATION AT WORK The representative of a book publishing association recounts her organization's efforts to enforce international copyright standards. INTERNATIONAL POLICY AND ACCORDS Here are the key multinational treaties and conventions that require member countries to provide intellectual property protection for the benefit of foreign nationals. GLOSSARY From assignment to World Trade Organization, an attorney defines some commonly used terms related to intellectual property rights. SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY How to get in touch with U.S. government entities, international organizations, and other groups in the forefront of the intellectual property scene. ADDITIONAL READINGS IN BRIEF... Fair Use Copyright in an Electronic Age The U.S. Patent System The U.S. Special 301 Process The World Intellectual Property Organization

SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY U.S. GOVERNMENT ENTITIES Office of the United States Trade Representative 600 17th Street, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20506 U.S.A. Tel: 202-586-8880 Fax: 202-395-3911 Internet: http://www.ustr.gov Internet site includes reports, speeches, press releases, and other documentation on a range of trade-related subjects, including intellectual property. U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20230 U.S.A. Tel: 202-482-3809 Fax: 202-482-4281 Internet: http://www.ita.doc.gov/legal/ipr.html Internet site includes periodically updated articles on U.S. intellectual property rights laws, “Special 301” enforcement activities, and the TRIPS Agreement. U.S. Department of Commerce Patent and Trademark Office Crystal Park Arlington, Virginia 22202 U.S.A. Tel: 703-305-9300 Internet: http://www.uspto.gov/ Internet site provides access to information on intellectual property, including rules, advice, definitions, submission forms, fees, and more. U.S. Department of State Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Office of Trade Policy and Programs 2201 C Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20520 U.S.A. Tel: 202-647-1310 Internet: http://www.state.gov/www/issues/economic Internet site contains a host of information on economic and trade topics arranged by current issues; press statements; remarks, testimony, and briefings; topics; and country information. U.S. Library of Congress United States Copyright Office 101 Independence Avenue, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20540 U.S.A. Tel: 202-707-8350 Internet: http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright Internet site presents a publication titled “Copyright Basics,” as well as information on copyright, including frequently asked questions, and documents of the World Intellectual Property Organization. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS European Patent Office Erhardtstrasse 27 D-80331 Munich Germany Tel: (+49 89) 22 99 - 0 Fax: (+49 89) 23 99 - 44 65 Internet: http://www.epo.co.at/epo Internet site includes general information about the European Patent Office, official communications, a patent information center, a toolbox for applicants, and patent information products. World Intellectual Property Organization P.O. Box 18 CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland Tel: +41-22 338 9111 Fax: +41-22 733 54 28 Internet: http://www.wipo.int Internet site provides the history and objectives of this organization, as well as a list of its members, the texts of treaties it administers, and a list of contracting parties or signatories to these treaties. World Trade Organization 154 Rue de Lausanne CH-1211 Geneva 21, Switzerland Internet: http://www.wto.org Internet site, in addition to providing general information about the WTO, includes special sections on such topics as goods, services, environment, development, dispute settlement, and intellectual property. ASSOCIATIONS AND TRADE ORGANIZATIONS American Intellectual Property Law Association 2001 Jefferson Davis Highway Suite 203 Arlington, Virginia 22202 U.S.A. Tel: 703-415-0780 Fax: 703-415-0786 Internet: http://www.aipla.org Internet site provides information aimed at improving laws relating to patents, trademarks, copyrights, unfair competition, and other fields of intellectual property. American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers One Lincoln Plaza New York, New York 10023 U.S.A. Tel: 212-621-6000 Internet: http://www.ascap.com/ Internet site for this membership association of over 68,000 composers, songwriters, lyricists, and music publishers provides information aimed at protecting the rights of its members by licensing and paying royalties for the public performance of their copyrighted works. Association of American Publishers, Inc. 1718 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., #700 Washington, D.C., 20009-1148 U.S.A. Tel: 202-232-3335 Fax: 202-745-0694 Internet: http://www.publishers.org Internet site for the principal trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry contains information on copyright and electronic publishing. Business Software Alliance 1150 18th Street, N.W. Suite 700 Washington, D.C. 20036 U.S.A. Tel: 202-872-5500 Fex: 202-872-5501 Internet: http://www.bsa.org Internet site reports on the activities of a software-industry organization with piracy enforcement programs in 65 countries and anti-piracy hotlines operating in nearly all nations; includes a list of international addresses of BSA offices. International Intellectual Property Alliance 1747 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C., 20006 U.S.A. Tel: 202-833-4198 Fax: 202-872-0546 Internet: http://www.iipa.com Internet site includes general information on the IIPA (a coalition that represents U.S. copyright-based industries in bilateral and multilateral efforts to improve the international protection of copyrighted works), as well as reports on worldwide piracy by country and issue. Motion Picture Association of America 1600 Eye Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20006 U.S.A. Tel: 202-293-1966 Internet: http://www.mpaa.org Internet site for this organization and its international counterpart, the Motion Picture Association, which serve as a voice for the motion picture, home video, and television industries, includes information on MPAA anti-piracy efforts and its positions on laws and regulations governing the industries. Music Publishers Association 1353 River Road Teaneck, New Jersey 07666 U.S.A. Tel: 201-287-1324 Fax: 201-287-9226 Internet: http://www.mpa.org Through its copyright resource centers, disseminates copyright information with the aim of increasing copyright responsibility; also includes links to music information resources on the World Wide Web. National Music Publishers Association 711 Third Avenue New York, New York 10017 U.S.A. Tel: 212-370-5330 Fax: 212-953-2384 Internet: http://www.nmpa.org Internet site for this association — which is concerned with legislative, legal, and educational matters related to copyright and new technology — includes extensive frequently asked questions about copyright and licensing. Software Publishers Association 1730 M Street, N.W. Suite 700 Washington, D.C. 20036-4510 U.S.A. Tel: 202-452-1600 Internet: http://www.siia.net Internet site provides information related to fighting software piracy. EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS (Internet sites) Cornell University http://www.law.cornell.edu:80/topics/copyright.html Provides source materials on U.S. copyright law. Franklin Pierce Law Center http://www.fplc.edu/pointbox.htm Provides hundreds of pointers to information on general intellectual property resources, patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and computers. Hal R. Varian's “The Information Economy” Website http://www.sims.berkeley.edu/resources/infoecon/index.html Contains links to general sites on intellectual property, as well as to sites dealing specifically with intellectual property policy and law, industry affairs and community, copyright and patent, and superdistribution. Harvard Information Infrastructure Project http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/iip Describes a Harvard University-based project for addressing a wide range of emerging policy issues related to the information infrastructure, including intellectual property, Internet coordination and administration, and electronic commerce and industry. John Marshall Law School http://www.jmls.edu Presents legal information and general reference materials; includes information on libraries, bar associations, and other law schools. Stanford University, Copyright and Fair Use http://fairuse.stanford.edu/ Includes such primary materials as statutes, judicial opinions, and treaties and conventions; current legislation; and an overview of copyright law. Stanford University, Legal Information Institute http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/bytopic/intprop Includes a menu of source materials on U.S. copyright law. University of California, Los Angeles, The UCLA Online Institute for Cyberspace Law and Policy http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/iclp/hp.html Includes a cyperspace law bibliography, as well as recent cases involving cyberspace law. University of Washington School of Law, The Center for Advanced Studies and Research on Intellectual Property (CASRIP) http://www.law.washington.edu/Casrip/ Includes information on the CASRIP program, as well as a newsletter issued three times a year that reports on CASRIP research and other intellectual-property-related activities and highlights intellectual property developments around the world. OTHER Intellectual Property Reference Library http://www.servtech.com/~mbobb/ref_govt.htm Contains links to intellectual-property-related sites of key U.S. government agencies, as well as to sites maintained in several other countries and regions of the world; includes a brief description of the information available on those sites. James W. Piper & Co. Patent Information Service http://www.piperpat.co.nz/resource/organs.html Lists intellectual property organizations in various countries and parts of the world. Back to top