Book excerpt: Since it was developed during the industrial revolution to protect material innovations, patent law often cannot be applied to intangible industrial inventions, such as software. International patent law must be adapted to cover the emerging virtual world, but this has not been done. Unsuited to modern innovation, the author argues that international patent law has reached a period of decline. This book explains why we have reached this situation, and how and why the international patent system must be modernised and rebalanced.