ABSTRACT
The patent and PBR systems are more than just pieces of legislation. They consist of the relevant statutes, rules and regulations plus the government agencies, courts and professional people involved in interpretation, implementation and enforcement. Understood thus, it is convenient to view either system as a form of government regulation in the sense that the definition, allocation and enforcement of property rights are per se regulatory. For the purposes of this book, a broad understanding of regulation is adopted that encompasses all state activities intended to manage the national economy.
