Why Academia Needs to Rediscover the Commons

Academia has long functioned as a commons based on openness, sharing and collaboration. In recent decades, however, universities have expanded their use of copyright and patent law to privatize knowledge; invited corporate partnerships that skew research priorities and impose secrecy; and entered into licensing deals that deliver captive audiences of students to marketers. If universities are truly going to serve the public and reap the benefits of digital technologies, they must rediscover the commons as a moral vision, system of governance and framework for managing knowledge.

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