Competing views of information: human right vs. commodity, private vs. shared property

Abstract

Two competing perspectives of information are analyzed. Information may be considered as a human right, meaning all people should have access to it regardless of their economic power, or as a commodity, only accessible for those who are able to pay for it. In the same vein, the dichotomy between private or shared property of information is examined, particularly meaningful in the field of intellectual property and copyright legislation.