Another variant is the single-commodity or single-goods
or single-service economies. Many countries in Africa and many members
of the OPEC oil cartel rely on a single product for their livelihood.
Russia, for instance, is heavily dependent on proceeds from the sale of
its energy products. Most Montenegrins derive their livelihood,
directly or indirectly, from smuggling, bootlegging and illegal
immigration. Drugs are a major "export" earner in Macedonia and
Albania.
Copycat Economies - These are economies that are based on legal or
(more often) illegal copying and emulation of intellectual property:
patents, brandnames, designs, industrial processes, other forms of
innovation, copyrighted material, etc. The prime example is Japan,
which constructed its whole mega-economy on these bases. Both Bulgaria
and Russia are Meccas of piracy. Though prosperous for a time, these
economies are dependent on and subject to the vicissitudes of business
cycles. They are capital sensitive, inherently unstable and with no
real long term prospects if they fail to generate their own
intellectual property. They reflect the volatility of the markets for
their goods and are overly exposed to trade risks, international
legislation and imports.
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