Intellectual Property, Innovation and Development: The Access to Knowledge Approach

Abstract

Public discourse on IP often fails to ask the fundamental question: What is the purpose of intellectual property? The premise of this work is that intellectual property law exists to promote innovation and human development. First and foremost, IP policy must be judged by how well it advances - or frustrates - these goals. This introduction to the volume Access to Knowledge in Brazil: New Research on Intellectual Property, Innovation and Development offers an introduction to this approach to evaluating IP law.