by creating an effective patent system grow faster than those that don't. As a business owner if you know that your idea won't be protected, then why go through the effort and expense in creating a new idea.
We can actually measure it using the Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom where we can look at property rights, which includes intellectual capital. Look at the countries that rate high in property rights compared to those that score low. There's a relationship to GDP per capita which essentially measures what the typical countryman produces in a given year.
Source:
http://www.heritage.org/index/explore