ABSTRACT
Pharmaceuticals – expensive R&D, long development times, long product life, worldwide markets. Patents and trademarks are held to be essential for investment.
Consumer electronics – fast moving and fast expanding, manufacturing capability and marketing dominate, patents less relevant. Costs of patent protection comparable to costs of invention. Instead of patents, manufacturers have relied for such protection as they have felt necessary on trademark registration, on contractual confidence agreements and in keeping the invention secret.
