And the value of companies is increasingly tied up in concepts such as brand and intellectual property, which do not observe country borders.

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"We have a very good working relationship with the Chinese authorities, " Lucy Nichols, Nokia's global director of intellectual property rights and brand protection, told CNN.

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The Graedons noted that while the active ingredient of the drug goes off patent, the pharmaceutical chemistry behind the extended delivery system may still be the intellectual property of the brand-name manufacturer.

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