SUMMARY
In its resolution 1999/61, under paragraph 11(b), the Economic and Social Council requested the Secretariat of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development to examine case studies of approaches to address issues related to technology, intellectual property rights and biosafety issues in practical, understandable and concrete way. This report is being submitted pursuant to that request. With the growing importance of knowledge-based industries such as computer software, the importance of intellectual property rights (IPRs) is at the same time being enhanced. The actual role and impact of IPRs, however, is being debated especially in relation to the process of developing domestic technological skills and capabilities in a globalized economy. On the one side of the debate, there are those who believe that the impact of IPRs is determining the sectoral economic performance while on the other side of the debate, others perceive the impact of IPRs as a hindrance to indigenous technological development. This study reviews the debate in the context of computer software development in developing countries, with a view to expanding the economic opportunities of developing countries in this sector. The overall aim of this paper is to inform developing countries of new trends in this sector and their relevance to policy making and future international negotiations on related issues. The paper demonstrates the growing importance of computer software by reviewing recent global trends in copyright-based industries, especially the associated growing demand for all information-based industries since the mid-1980s and the potential for developing countries to enter global markets in this area. [English only]
