Your Answer ▼
Information and knowledge are, indeed, priceless. Some argue
that open sourcing the knowledge is beneficial in the fields of science,
research, business and academia. Others claim that certain degrees of knowledge
do not come without a price. In my opinion, intellectual property should be
owned by any people if so desired at no cost.
First of all, it is true that certain kinds of intellectual
properties that are essential do cost enormous funds to discover, thus require
to charge a higher price to create a profit. For example, pharmaceutical
companies usually have 20 years to solely sell any new drugs that they develop
at a wished price before the inventing company has to release the formula of
the drug so that they have an ampule amount of time to achieve targeted earnings.
Other companies, then, can start selling generic brands of same drug at a much
cheaper price.
On the other hand, allowing intellectual property to be
available for everyone can promote further opportunities in development of
science, research, business and academia. For instance, when Google was first established,
the two young developers had a buyer who offered millions of dollars for the
company. However, they declined the offer and open sourced all the data. Later,
numerous ventures appeared using the information that was collected which
resulted in booming of IT business. In addition, making the research findings
that are accessible for the public can mean that they are utilized for the
greater good in the field of science. For instance, using the above example
regarding newly invented drugs, if the generic medications were available for a
cheaper price sooner, more people should be able to afford the medicine and to
be treated. Ultimately, this action can even save more lives of human beings.
In conclusion, in a society that is driven by the newest
knowledge and information, acquiring intellectual property is also a power. Using
this power to earn money is adequately important to maintain the healthy
balance of investment and profit. However, it is critical to release
intellectual property to the public in order to empower and enhance other
fields of research, science, business and academia and also to benefit the
greater good. |