THE FARTHER BEHIND WE FALL THE FURTHER AHEAD WE GET:

U.S. retains lead in global patents (John Zarocostas, February 7, 2007, International Herald Tribune)

The United States retained its lead as the world's most inventive country in 2006, with a 6.1 percent increase in international patent applications from the previous year, or 34.1 percent of the world total, the World Intellectual Property Organization said in a report Wednesday.