“Creation, Life and Intellectual Property: A Biblical perspective into Creativity and Innovation” by Anthony C.K. Kakooza
We are God’s workmanship, which means that we are His work of art; evidence of His skills and therefore each and every one of us is God’s masterpiece. Thus we should consider ourselves His Intellectual Property.
This article explores God’s gifts of creativity and knowledge and brings out various scriptures that relate to our appreciation of Intellectual Property rights and their utilization. The chapter posts that Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) are God-given and, in that sense, need to be utilized for His glory as inalienable rights. The contention is not that creators, authors or owners of IPRs should be denied of such rights – far from that. Recognition and enjoyment of IPRs by owners or creators should not completely override the downstream benefits of the underlying work by others so as to defeat God’s plan for Intellectual Property. Like so many gifts from God, IPRs are also suspect to misuse and abuse. Thus there are instances where lawmakers justly temper and limit such rights in right response to humanity’s inherent and longstanding tendency to exploit God’s gifts and ignore God’s boundaries.
