WIPO Intangible Capital and Assets in Global Value Chains

The World Intellectual Property Report 2017 and Economic Research Working Paper No. 41 examine the crucial role of intangibles such as technology, design and branding in international manufacturing. The WIPO 2017 report examines global value chains for three products – coffee, photovoltaic energy cells, and smartphones. The Working Paper uses data on individual smartphones as well as industry data to identify which smartphone firms capture the most value.