Neoliberal capitalism and China's strategic patent framework for the global intellectual property regime

Abstract

China is widely regarded as a norm taker of the global intellectual property regime dominated by industrialized nations. It is however likely that China will become a norm holder due to China's increasing strengths in high technology and innovation as well as its expanding outbound investment into foreign high-tech sectors. Globalization and the global intellectual property regime that serves it are defined by neoliberal capitalism. Chinese enterprises equipped with improved market experience will soon find these neoliberal, corporate interest-maximizing game rules very attractive. As a consequence, they may become a new norm holder of the current intellectual property regime, and perhaps a more predatory one.