This book brings together innovative contributions on the management of intellectual property (IP) and intellectual property rights by an esteemed and multi-disciplinary group of economists, management scientists, accountants and lawyers. Offering a broad and enlightening picture of the measurement and management of IP, the contributors argue that the shift towards a knowledge-based economy has increased the importance of IP and more generally, intangible assets, as a focus for company decision-making behaviour. The book explores these intangible assets, which are driven by investments in R&D, marketing, education and training, management information systems and organizational structure. The inherent risk in the development of such assets - born from the involvement of creativity and innovation - is also discussed. The Management of Intellectual Property should prove of use to both students of management and managers in the field who have to make decisions with regard to investments in, and the protection of, IP and other intangible assets.

The amount of physical matter in the world is fixed and improvements to people's material circumstances are only created by their ability to reconfigure this matter. What distinguishes labour, and subsequently what allows for differing increments of value, are our capabilities, skills and understandings. In addition, the way society synchronises these individual talents and pieces of knowledge is significant. This innovative book sheds new light on the emerging confluence between labour and industrial economics: the view that labour as capital is the dominant factor of production. This factor is commonly embraced under the term intangible capital. This book examines the process by which firms accumulate intangible capital assets using a post-Keynesian perspective. It will be of interest to labour and industrial economists, especially those who favour post-Keynesian and Kaleckian economic thought.