The ownership of knowledge

How can the public good of free access to information be balanced against the commercial necessity of paying for its creation? And what is the impact of the digital economy? In March 2001 The Times Higher  began a series of articles on intellectual property rights and the implications for research and higher education.

If it’s for the public good, shouldn’t the public pay?  
23 March 2001
Alison Goddard reports on the debate over private interests versus public good.

Legislating copyrights and wrongs  
23 March 2001
Teresa Hackett reports on how new EU copyright regulations try to balance the needs of right-holders and users.

Web driver issues free ticket to ride  
30 March 2001
Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the worldwide web, tells Roisin Woolnough that the net must be a public space.

Do the work, you're due a reward  
6 April 2001
Danny Quah, the economist behind the concept of the “weightless economy”, tells Alison Goddard how the profit motive can drive innovation.

Would you give a great idea away?  
12 April 2001
Stephen Phillips looks at the way top US universities commercialise their inventions, and Richard Stallman tells Caroline Davis why patents undermine the cooperative ethos of the programming community.