Global Knowledge

Structure & Technology

Chin Kok Fay, Ph.D.

Highlight

What is global knowledge structure?

Why is it important?
What is IPRs?
Different Perspectives on IPRs
Global Regime for IPRs: Conflict and
Cooperation

What is global knowledge

structure?

 It is a web of rules, practices and institutions that

determine how knowledge is generated,
commercialised, contolled and disseminated globally.
Hence, it determines the access to knowledge and
technology.

Why is it important?

a) Wealth and power depends on access to and command of

knowledge and technology.

Indicators on Intellectual Property Developments in 2010

Yu (2014: 92)

Indicators on Technological and Innovative Capabilities in 2007

Yu (2014: 94)

Yu (2014: 94)

b) It affects other IPE structures due to the preeminence of knowledge in production, finance and
security.

What is IPRs?

 It is the rights of controlling the use of IPs.

IPRs system legal mechanism used to control
access to and dissemination of knowledge, new
ideas, innovation and technology.

Different Forms of IPs

Merchantilist
View on IPRs

Liberalist

Structuralist

Different Perpektives on IPRs

Global Regime for IPRs

Before the inclusion of IPRs in GATT & WTO,

a) Paris Convention patent, trade marks and
designs;

b) Rome Convention records and

broadcasting;
c) Berne Convention copyrights.
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
the single authority to manage these conventions

 TRIPs (Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights

Conflict and Cooperation

 Arising from asymmetrical relationship between

advanced and developing countries
In industrialised coutries, knowledge-intensive
production has replaced (or is in the process of
replacing) traditional production.
In industrialising countries, most industrial sectors
are still less/under-developed and whatever form of
knowledge-intensive production is usually based on
intensive copying of knowledge goods developed
elsewhere (Vorster & Nel, 1995: 53)
Strict vs loose IPRs regimes

 Pressures from the US to include strict IPRs

protection provisions in GATT/WTO
eg. the US applied pressure through its bilateral
negotiations with developing countries in terms of
which the continuation of GSP benefits were made
dependent on compliance with US wishes on IPRs
protection
Strong lobbying by TNCs.
Increasing number of FTAs with TRIPs-Plus
provisions.

References
Yu, Peter K. 2014. 'The middle intellectual property powers' in Randall Peerenboom & Tom
Ginsburg (eds) Law and development of middle-income Countries: Avoiding the MiddleIncome trap, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Vorster, Shaun & Philip Nel (995. Tracing power relations in the global knowledge structure: two
case studies, Politikon: South African Journal of Political Studies, 22:1, 52-78

Q&A