Open Intellectual Property Models of Emerging Technologies [2017-2019]

About

Open Intellectual Property Models of Emerging Technologies and Implications for the Equitable Society
 

The guiding question of our research group will be the extent to which open technologies result in equitable sharing of knowledge and cognitive or technology justice. 'Open' IP describes a range of approaches to knowledge production, distribution and consumption that allow more or different actors to participate in producing and benefit from technologies. The global shift to knowledge-based economies and increasingly rapid pace of technological advancement means that the question of how society deals with intellectual property (IP) and structures institutions and communities to manage and disseminate knowledge is critically important to our future. Our choices will reflect and shape our societal values, practices and culture. Advocates of open and collaborative approaches point to evidence of real social impact from but there is little published evidence and any effects are heavily context dependent. 

We are interested in emerging technologies such as synthetic biology, artificial intelligence and electric cars; new networked infrastructure such as distributed energy and new forms of manufacturing such as 3D-printing. Examples of open technologies are found within each of these sectors, situated along a spectrum from fully public domain to forming part of a managed commons. Our research group has a range of interests from biotechnologies and diagnostics; 'green' technology and sustainability transitions; governance of risk through to knowledge and technology transfer for international development. We will explore together the legal issues, economic implications and governance of open technologies across key sectors, asking how they are established, what motivates the IP owners and ultimately what impact this might have on societies. This will enable us to push the boundaries of our current knowledge and understanding, cross-fertilising between our respective fields and creating new interdisciplinary insights and novel research ideas.

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Themes 2018-19
Michaelmas Term 2018: Rethinking economics and Open IP
Lent Term 2019: Values, motivations and politics of Open IP
Easter Term 2019: Advancing research in Open IP
 

Administrative assistance: networks@crassh.cam.ac.uk