Governing the knowledge commons: Hybrid relational–contractual governance in china’s mining industry

Abstract

How do industry participants govern knowledge commons and deal with knowledge production and sharing? Beyond privatized intellectual resources safeguarded by the intellectual property system (e.g., patent and copyrights), a knowledge commons is an alternative type of intellectual property regime that has become increasingly prevalent but remains understudied. Substantiated by fieldwork data in three mining sites in China’s Jiangxi province, this article examines the ways in which contractual and relational governance mechanisms work together to facilitate collaboration and innovation and mitigate ambiguity and volatility. This study contributes to the existing literature on knowledge commons and innovation governance and enhances the empirical understanding of innovation in emerging economies where formal protection of intellectual property is insufficient.