Has China stepped up its enforcement of intellectual property rights? A recent Economic Synopses essay suggests that China may have stepped up such enforcement over the past several years. Economist Ana Maria Santacreu and Research Associate Makenzie Peake tackled this question by examining royalty payments to the U.S. “People and firms pay royalties to use intellectual property, which can be covered under licensing agreements, trademarks, patents, and copyrights,” they wrote. “Royalties are recorded as a trade in services in the international balance of payments.” Santacreu and Peake noted that China paid $27.2 ... (full story)