Abstract

Nowadays, the appropriation of knowledge is perhaps more important in determining the distribution of income than the ownership of tangible assets. This article discusses a paradox of open science: the existence of a freely accessible stock of knowledge, often produced through taxpayers-funded research, is likely to exacerbate inequalities instead of increasing social justice. This is because of the privatisation of intellectual property rights. Among the possible solutions, we propose the creation of a new type of public enterprise for the production of knowledge-intensive goods. the proposal is inspired by the science production model of the modern research infrastructures.