傳統上有關智慧財產權的討論，大多側重於智慧財產權的保護問題，本文討論的重點則在於智慧財產的產權結構問題。本文的基本論點有三；(一)人類社會的財產權制度，乃是透過漫長的演化過程所形成。(二)在其他條件相同的情況下，當採行不同財產權制度的社會系統相互競爭時，較具效率的財產權體制將使社會系統處於較優勢的地位。(三)什麼樣的財產權制度較具效率，取決於該項財產的特質以及當時社會、經濟、技術等條件的相互配合。依此論點，我們解釋了智慧財產由組織獨有、由研發人員獨有(或多人共有)、由組織與研發人員共有等三種基本產權結構的成立條件，並依此討論政府政策意涵。

　　　　　Most of the research on intellectual property rights focuses on the protection of such rights. This paper studies a different aspect of intellectual property rights--the ownership structure. Three basic propositions are made here. First, institutions of property rights are established through social evolution processes. Second, a more efficient property right institution can make a social system more competitive, other things equal. Third, the efficiency degree of an institution is determined by the nature of the property as well as a society's socioeconomic and technological condi- tions. Based on these three propositions, this paper presents conditions for three primary ownership structures-- the organization owns the right, the worker owns the right, and organization and the worker share the right. Policy implications are also discussed.