Legal and social norms in the recognition of the intellectual property of SMEs and employees in relations of quasi-subordination: emerging tensions?
This article deals with the tensions around the intellectual property (IP) of “knowledge workers” and SMEs in relation to more bureaucratic enterprises. A performative conception of IP through a legal, social and management approach makes it possible to identify the conditions of emergence of such tensions in the recognition of this IP. The cases studied, concerning inventions and also creations of original works, suggest that the non-recognition of IP in a relationship of (quasi-)subordination reflects a normative framework that is inappropriate as regards creative workers.