The Development Dilemma

Ostergard argues that developing nations adopt stronger intellectual property rights protection in response to international pressures and not as a basis for economic growth and development. Using a new methodology for the measurement of intellectual property rights protection, Ostergard presents empirical evidence to show that, as developing nations become more integrated into the international economic system, they are faced with greater external pressures to increase intellectual property rights protection. Hence, their decision to adopt stronger intellectual property rights protection is purely political. This runs counter to Western arguments for intellectual property rights based on the assumption that stronger intellectual property rights promote economic growth and development.