The Intellectual Property Rights and Transfer of Technology in Space Industry

Abstract

From the past, space activities which has been extremely important for governments as the main and traditional players in the space industry, are now attractive to non-governmental and private individuals, who are the new actors in the space industry. Undoubtedly, in this field, technology is a prerequisite for the implementation and development of space activities. Developing and less developed governments are trying to pave the way for these activities by passing national space legislations, but it should be noted that there are still many obstacles in this way. One of these obstacles is the existence of restrictive acts and regulations of developed countries on transfer of technology in the space industry. Identifying the dimensions of these barriers and limitations and evaluating them from the standpoint of intellectual property rights is the subject of this article. The conflict between the tendency towards commercialization of space activities and tight control over technology transfer in the space industry is one of the results that this article has achieved.