Theft or innovation?

A history of intellectual-property rights reveals how the pirating of ideas and goods has transformed science publishing, drug development and software, explains Michael Gollin. By allowing scientists, inventors and artists to assert property rights over their creative work, the intellectual-property system rewards the investment of time and money required to bring ideas to market. Piracy, or unauthorized copying, of creative works is usually seen as a simple violation of commercial rights, with pirates as thieves.