Justice in the Diffusion of Innovation

This chapter explains why a theory of justice must take the fact of innovation seriously and focuses on one important problem of justice in innovation: the fact that when powerful innovations do not diffuse widely, but are available only to some, this creates opportunities for domination and exclusion. It explains a proposal for a new international institution designed to ameliorate this problem. The chapter strengthens the case for the proposal by comparing it both to the status quo and to a prominent proposal for international institutional change advanced by Thomas Pogge. It also explains how the proposal could be integrated into existing international law. The chapter brings innovation to center stage in thinking about justice, demonstrates that serious efforts to achieve justice in innovation requires institutional innovation, and stimulates deeper consideration of the issues the author addresses by articulating a concrete institutional proposal.