The (Im)Perishability of Intellectual Property in the Information Society

However, the protection of intellectual property by copyright, the notion of the right to reproduce works protected by copyright and the unquestionable right to information are all at stake in times of democratisation of the use of digital information, the use of open electronic networks and multimedia applications, tools and products. The changes brought about by the new technologies for the production, processing, dissemination and exploitation of digital information have taken on a historic significance in terms of profound changes in conventional social and professional practices relating to the use of information. This is a change in the information economy, whose means of production are now in the hands of anyone with access to these new technologies.