Intellectual property—copyrights, patents, trademarks, and related forms of intangible property—are playing an increasingly important role in international relations, especially in the context of technological innovations that facilitate the dissemination and exchange of innovative and creative works. The contributors to this special issue, while addressing various aspects of the international relations of intellectual property, share a theme: the creation and protection of intellectual property involves a complex web of social relations, one in which the participants have duties as well as rights, privileges and liabilities as well as powers. After surveying the historical development of intellectual property, this introductory essay explores areas of consensus and areas of disagreement about these social norms and the international actors (states, firms and individuals, and society) to which they apply.
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