Much of our world is subject to "intellectual property" laws and regulations — the books we read, the shows we watch, the tools we use, and the food we crave. How, though, are knowledge and information created? Who do they belong to? Who decides how such things happen?

This course examines historical and emerging approaches to understanding the processes by which knowledge and information become intellectual property and the regulatory processes and venues that maintain intellectual property as an epistemological norm. It foregrounds critical theories, exploring ethical, legal, and regulatory issues in information ownership faced by policymakers, users, and creators.