IMPACT OF THE DIGITAL ECONOMY ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.

• Position: World Intellectual Property Organisation - Brief Article

The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) published a report in December examining the far-reaching impact that digital technologies - the Internet in particular - have had on intellectual property. Entitled "Intellectual Property on the Internet: A Survey of Issues," the report sets out to provide an overview of the influence of digital technologies in intellectual property and the role played by the intellectual property system itself in facilitating and promoting electronic commerce worldwide.

Many of the issues addressed in the study are evolving rapidly. The study outlines the issues and trends relevant to intellectual property in the digital age as they are perceived in the private sector, among users and consumers and within public and decision-making bodies. In accordance with WIPO's mandate and the universal nature of the Internet, the study focuses on the international dimension of these questions.

On the basis of statistics, international studies and...