Regulating knowledge as intellectual property in the global knowledge economy

Since prehistoric times valuable objects have been bartered across great distances. From these beginnings, international transport and digital communications networks have grown to carry a global trade in goods and services. Intellectual property law has always been crafted in response to advancements in distribution and communications technology. The first copyright law, the Statute of Anne (Copyright Act 1709), was enacted in response to new technology, the printing press, ‘For the encouragement of learning’ and to control pirate printers (Defoe 1709).