This book surveys the industry evolution, structure, and firm strategies in the computer software industries of three leading industrial regions (USA, Japan, and Western Europe) and one emerging market-based economy (Russian Federation).

Contributors 1: David C. Mowery: Introduction 2: W. Edward Steinmueller: The U.S. Software Industry: An Analysis and Interpretive History 3: Richard N. Langlois and David C. Mowery: The Federal Government Role in the Development of the U.S. Software Industry 4: Jonathan Khazam and David C. Mowery: Tails that Wag Dogs: The Influence of Software-based "Network Externalities" on the Creation of Dominant Designs in RISC Technologies 5: The User-Driven Evolution of the Japanese Software Industry: The Case of Customized Software for Mainframes 6: Thomas Cottrell: Standards and the Arrested Development of Japan's Microcomputer Software Industry 7: Franco Malerba and Salvatore Torrisi: The Dynamics of Market Structure and Innovation in the Western European Software Industry 8: Peter Grindley: The Future of the Software Industry in the United Kingdom: The Limitations of Independent Production 9: Valery Katkalo and David C. Mowery: Institutional Structure and Innovation in the Emerging Russian Software Industry 10: Robert P. Merges: A Comparative Look at Intellectual Property Rights and the Software Industry 11: David C. Mowery: Conclusion Index