Socially responsible international intellectual property rights in software and other digitally distributable material

Abstract

In this paper relativistic ethical theories are handled in relation to intellectual property rights (IPRs). Different cultural traditions are a descriptive fact, and many such traditions - past and present - will be presented. It will be shown that the current Western versions of IPRs are offered as the only viable options in negotiations in international organisations such as the World Trade organization (WTO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) as well as in uni-, bi- and other multilateral negotiations by most Western countries. Free and open source software (F/OSS) and IPR systems similar to it are offered as a possibilities to respect the local traditions, although any local traditions are encouraged to be tried as options to the cultural homogenisation which the international treaties offer instead. © 2006 International Federation for Information Processing.