July 16, 2004

Before U.S. Was an Economic Power, It Preferred Intellectual Piracy to Intellectual Property, Book Says

By RICHARD BYRNE

TRADING PLACES: In this era of global trade, preventing intellectual piracy is a major priority for the United States. Stacks of pirated DVD's for sale in foreign markets are an obvious example of such theft; law-enforcement and intelligence agencies also watch out for foreign pilfering of technological secrets.

But today's American vigilance is a far cry from the nation's attitude in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In Trade Secrets: Intellectual Piracy and the Origins of