The different modes of technology transfer vary in importance and scope depending on the technological advancement of the recipient country. The patterns of technology transfer to developing countries are changing as the ability to imitate and appropriate those technologies increases. New forms of co-operation are emerging in the form of strategic alliances and joint ventures. The new global scenario and the reluctance of innovative firms to part with their technology suggest that trade in technology may be subject in the future to increasingly hard terms and conditions for the recipient party.