RESPONSIBLE INNOVATION: ETHICAL INTEGRATION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) IN BUSINESS
Abstract
This paper examines the intersection of intellectual property (IP) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) through the lens of ethical benchmarking, proposing a framework that redefines innovation as both a private asset and a public good. While IP protection incentivizes creativity and secures competitive advantage, its monopolistic use often restricts access to essential goods such as medicines, digital technologies, and climate solutions. Conversely, CSR emphasizes inclusivity, sustainability, and accountability, yet is rarely integrated into IP governance. This study addresses this gap by conceptualizing an Ethical Benchmarking Framework (EBF) that evaluates IP practices against four normative pillars—transparency, accessibility, sustainability, and equity—operationalized through a five-step dynamic cycle: assessment, alignment, action, accountability, and adaptation. Drawing on global cases, the analysis demonstrates how CSR-driven IP strategies, such as open licensing in healthcare and open-source initiatives in technology, can reduce inequalities, while highlighting the risks of tokenism, fragmented IP regimes, and measurement challenges. The Indian context provides a distinctive lens, illustrating how generics pharmaceuticals and digital public goods embody ethical approaches to IP while confronting systemic barriers. The paper concludes that ethical benchmarking of IP within CSR is both a moral imperative and a strategic necessity, enabling corporations to align innovation with societal welfare and long-term sustainability.