Capital x Labor in the Creative Industries: A Marxist Approach to Copyright and Related Rights

Abstract

This paper aims to develop an alternative framework to understand copyright based upon a Marxist analysis of this field in political science grounds. By providing a bibliographical research on both the fundamentals of property theories and Marxist perspectives, I try to promote another understanding on how creative industries operate. Therefore, the paper provides a literature study on both intellectual property theories and Marxism. Regarding intellectual property theories, I focus on four types of approaches: utilitarian theory, labor theory, personality theory and culture theory. In what concerns Marxist perspectives, I explain most fundamental concepts such as “class”, “exploitation” and the relationship between classes and State according to a Marxist view. These concepts are important to understand lobbying of creative industries. Then, I try to build a framework that links these concepts. Finally, I employ this Marxist framework to the “modus operandi” of copyright core industries analyzing how stakeholders interact with each other and in what extent they may affect public policies about copyright and related rights. In the final remarks, I suggest a research agenda on Marxism and copyright. Thus, this is a preliminary exercise to encourage other studies.