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America's role in the global economy is shifting away from a manufacturer of goods and toward a provider of services. This trend also shows itself in many of the world's large industrialized nations. With this shift toward providing services, intellectual property (IP) takes on an increasingly important role in many firms. Indeed, it is arguable that the most valuable assets of many large multinational companies are simply the brand names that we've all come to recognize. Company names such as Dell, Procter & Gamble, and Merck bring instant credibility to any product. Publishing companies, movie producers, and artists depend on their creative output to earn their livelihood. Many products depend on secret recipes or production techniques—take the legendary secret formula for Coca-Cola or KFC's secret blend of herbs and spices, for example.

These intangible assets are collectively referred to as intellectual property (IP), and a whole host of laws exist to protect the rights of their owners. After all, it simply wouldn't be fair if a bookstore bought only one copy of each author's book and made copies for all of its customers—that would deprive the author of the benefits of their labor. In the following sections, we'll explore the laws surrounding the four major types of intellectual property—copyrights, trademarks, patents, and trade secrets. We'll also discuss how these concepts specifically concern information security professionals. Many countries protect (or fail to protect) these rights in different ways, but the basic concepts ring true throughout the world.

Some countries are notorious for violating intellectual property rights and are world renowned for their blatant disregard of copyright and patent law. If you're planning to do business in countries where this is a problem, you should definitely consult with an attorney who specializes in this area.