Technology provides modern thinkers many avenues to make public their ideas, plans, or inventions through readily available internet access. They may post to websites, forums, and other online media. Scads of information is shared online every second of every day, worldwide. These ideas range from brilliant to useless. For accessors of information around the world, the difficulty is in distinguishing the “quality” of the information.

While most of these “mind works” are available free to those who might access them, the question remains: Can they be accessed and reused freely? There are many examples of misuse of the intellectual property of others, most of which involve a failure to properly credit the source. 

Moreover, as the importance of protecting "Intellectual Property" increases, there are many arguments and criticisms levied against the term itself. On both sides of the issue, those involved choose to define the term in their favor. Because intellectual property is not the same as physical property, it is hard to prove that the "property" is being "stolen." Finally, the dilemma of ownership is undoubtedly complicated. Does ownership lie with the creator, or with those who provide support and resources to creators, i.e. universities?

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) was established in 1970, to promote the importance of intellectual property protection worldwide, and to help countries develop rules which protect these brilliant mind works – not just artistic works, but any kind of innovation. The WIPO is reviewed later in this section.