Immaterial Possessions

If an asset is weightless, colorless, and odorless, and leaves no trace on the balance sheet, does it exist? You would not expect IROs and accountants to engage in such philosophical speculation, but these days many are sounding positively metaphysical as they discuss the growing intangibility of the business world, and the importance of corporate assets that can't adequately be measured in dollars and cents. 'Everything's becoming more intangible,' says Charlotte Borger, a public relations