Pomen patentov v družbi znanja: socioekonomske implikacije za podjetja in družbo

Članek obravnava socioekonomsko vlogo patenta kot pravice intelektualne lastnine za spodbujanje ustvarjanja znanja, pospeševanja inoviranja in inovacijske konkurence v družbi znanja. Izhajajoč iz patentnega prava analizira tri ekonomske argumente proti tradicionalni in v prid alternativni konkurenčni ekonomski teoriji patentov. Njeno ključno sporočilo je, da patent ne preprečuje proste uporabe v izumu razkritega znanja kot inputa za RR konkurenčnih inovacij. Sledeč hipotezi kumulativne vzročnosti izpostavlja tudinekatere socioekonomske implikacije patentov za konkurenčnost ali konkurenčno prednost podjetij (npr. strategije znanja, prakse UČV), ustvarjanje vrednosti, družbeno blaginjo in neenakost v ekonomijah oziroma družbah znanja.The article deals with the socio-economic role of patent as the intellectual property right granted to stimulate knowledge creation and innovation as well as innovation competition in a knowledge-based society. Deriving from the patent law the three economic arguments are analysed as opposed to the traditional and in favour of the alternative competitive economic theory of patents. The fundamental message of the latter is that the patent does not preserve free use of disclosed invented knowledge as an input for R&D of competitive innovations. Following the cumulative causation hypothesis some socio-economic implications of patent are exposed also for firm competitiveness or competitive advantage (e.g. knowledge strategies, HRM practices), value creation, as well as for social welfare and inequality in knowledge societies or knowledge-based economies