First described by the author in a 2003 book of the same name, "Open Innovation" is a business paradigm in which firms import external ideas for use in their own businesses and also allow their un-utilized ideas to be used by others. In this text, Chesbrough provides a diagnostic instrument for assessing a company's current business model and suggests ways of overcoming barriers to creating a more open model. Particular attention is paid to issues relating to the management and protection of intellectual property. Chesbrough is Executive Director of the Center for Open Innovation at the U. of California at Berkeley. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)