http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,710976,00.html
Did Germany experience rapid industrial expansion in the 19th century due to an absence of copyright law? A German historian argues that the massive proliferation of books, and thus knowledge, laid the foundation for the country’s industrial might.
(controversial, but interesting to consider – given the massive issues we currently have with extension of copyright as well as the problems of software patents)