Title: Generation-C: creative consumers in a world of intellectual property rights

Authors: Jan H. Kietzmann; Ian Angell

Addresses: Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University, 500 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, V6C 1W6, Canada ' Department of Management, Information Systems and Innovation Group, London School of Economics, 54 Lincoln's Inn Fields, WC2A 3LJ, London, UK

Abstract: Generation-C is a generational movement consisting of creative consumers, those who increasingly modify proprietary offerings, and of members of society who in turn use the developments of these creative consumers. It is argued that their respective activities, creating and using modified products, are carried out by an increasing number of people, everyday, without any moral and legal considerations. The resulting controversies associated with existing intellectual property rights are discussed, and suggestions put forward that the future can only bring conflict if such legislation is not changed so that derivative innovations are allowed to flourish. The article concludes with important messages to organisations, intellectual property rights lawyers, owners of property rights, governments and politicians, suggesting they reconsider their respective stances for the good of society.

Keywords: creative consumers; consumer creativity; lead users; intellectual property rights; IPR; digital rights management; DRM; user generated content; UGC; social media; Facebook; Twitter; derivative innovation; product development; generation-C; legislation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTMKT.2014.058085

International Journal of Technology Marketing, 2014 Vol.9 No.1, pp.86 - 98

Published online: 30 May 2014 *

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