Logo image
From Lockean Theory to Intellectual Property: Marriage by Mistake and its Incompatibility with Knowledge, Creativity and Dissemination
Journal article   Peer reviewed

From Lockean Theory to Intellectual Property: Marriage by Mistake and its Incompatibility with Knowledge, Creativity and Dissemination

K. Shao
Hong Kong Law Journal, Vol.39(2), pp.401-420
2009
url
Link to Published Version *Subscription may be requiredView

Abstract

The global expansion of intellectual property (IP) underpinned by the Lockean theory of intellectual property is widely seen as a threat to continuous innovation and the public interest in using knowledge. This paper argues that Lockean theory, while being a very suitable explanation of some other rights, is inherently incompatible with the rights associated with knowledge creativity and dissemination. This paper then examines the unique history of misapplication of Lockean theory in the IP field by publishing monopolists in 17th and 18th century England, which so far has fundamentally influenced our modern understanding of how intellectual property should be.

Details

Metrics

88 Record Views
Logo image