The Internet may arguably be the pre-eminent example of how recent technological developments have made life more convenient.

But the evolution of such technology also presents challenges in the need to balance the protection of intellectual properties, particularly against copyright violations, with the international community's need for access.

"There's a lot to be done," Francis Gurry, director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization, a U.N. agency, said in an interview this week, referring to the group's task to develop a balanced, accessible international intellectual property system.