Column: How intellectual property rules help the rich and hurt the poor

A yet-to-be-released Segway Ninebot personal transportation robot is seen onstage during the Intel keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Editor's Note: Economist Dean Baker is the author of the new book, "Rigged: How Globalization and the Rules of the Modern Economy Were Structured to Make the Rich Richer." There is a recurring concern in discussions about the economy that technology threatens the livelihood of large segments of the workforce. In one version, the robots will take all the jobs, leading to a massive surge in unemployment. A somewhat different version has the development of technology benefiting people with college and advanced degrees to the detriment of those with less education.