The Role of Ethics in the Commercialization of Indigenous Knowledge

David Orozco () and Latha Poonamallee ()

Journal of Business Ethics, 2014, vol. 119, issue 2, 275-286

Abstract: Much has been written about indigenous knowledge and intellectual property rights (IPRs) in fields like anthropology and law. However, it remains an under-examined topic in business and management literature. In this article, we review the emerging contentious discourse, definitional issues and underlying assumptions of the western IPR and indigenous knowledge management systems. We highlight the similarities and differences between the two approaches. We argue that adopting a view that law is socially constructed with ethical underpinnings helps sort out the thorny issues related to indigenous knowledge ‘expropriation’. To do this, we draw on the role of ethical norms in the historical evolution of IPRs regimes. Finally, grounded in Stakeholder Theory, we conclude with a discussion of managerial implications. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

Keywords: Bio-prospecting; Business ethics; Corporate social responsibility; Ethics in management; Indigenous knowledge; Intellectual property; Stakeholder theory; Traditional knowledge (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10551-013-1640-3

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