Intellectual property and the forced commodification of knowledge

MIGUEZ, PABLO

universitas

Revista de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas de la Universidad Politécnica Salesiana de Ecuador

Lugar: Quito; Año: 2018 vol. XVII p. 41 - 62

1390-3837

This paper analyzes the growing commodification of knowledge through the reinforcement of intellectual property rights, on a global scale. This process is an expression of a change in the logic of capital?s production and valorisation, in the switch from industrial to cognitive capitalism. The recent debates on commons and the theories of cognitive capitalism are recovered to show the need for stablishing a correspondencebetween international regulations and national legal systems, in order to valorize knowledge.The origin and historical evolution of intellectual property rights will be studied, based on empirical evidence obtained from specific studies and diverse sources to point out some concrete circumstances that favored changes in regulations and institutions.