ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the findings from research done in Brazil. During nine visits, each of a week or more, interviews were conducted with over 120 people. These interviews were sought with Brazilians whose activities were thought to be influenced by Brazil's intellectual property protection system. Interviews have typically proceeded from a general question about how Brazil's intellectual property rules influence the activities of individuals, firms, and institutions with which the interviewee was directly acquainted. Many people interviewed, including business leaders directly affected by Brazil's intellectual property rules, knew little about intellectual property. The absence of these business patterns in Brazil may be traceable to the lack of adequate intellectual property protection. Interviews with one of the broad interest firms disclosed two patterns relevant to the impact of intellectual property protection on business growth and economic development. The interviewed firm, although shifting to merchant banking, continues to receive requests from small, new firms seeking financial backing.
