Characterizing knowledge society and global capitalism through Intellectual Property discourses.

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Igor Sádaba

Abstract

According to some recent analysis (Boltanski and Chiapello, 1999), contemporary Management reflects theideal type of current global economic discourse (the"New Spirit of Capitalism"). This paper aims to applythe same mechanism to Intellectual Property as one ofthe key social discourses arising within the KnowledgeSociety. Patents and copyrights depict emerging expressions of what knowledge is and how should bedealt with once economy and technology have beenglobalized. Focusing on such insights and on the attempts to enforce Intellectual Property rights andpolicies, we will go through a few current social theories. Intellectual Property unfolds a rich variety ofsocial topics, values and ideological backgrounds wehave collected and present in three sections: i) Ideas(Knowledge) as appropriable objects (Locke) and as"fictitious commodities" (Polanyi), ii) Innovation asthe favourite and unquestioned social change (thetriumph of Utilitarism), generated through individualefforts (the Schumpeter's entrepreneurial innovator)and iii) Network-based knowledge communities as arelevant social subject in areas where knowledge is atstake (software development and genomics, for instance).
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Keywords

knowledge society, intellectual property, global capitalism, sociotechnical network

Section
Research Articles