Coherent Synergy

Abstract

The open-source paradigm has evolved from the early enthusiasts' circles to enter the agenda of the mainstream industry, while related initiatives have been extending the idea of open, collaborative development to other kinds of intellectual artifacts. Against this background, it is pertinent to ask how an innovation-based business that deliberately renounces the exclusive prerogatives endowed by intellectual property can foster continuous innovation. In order to shed light on those questions, this article addresses the open-source model as a new paradigm of innovation fostering that does not rely on the IP-enforcement model. The investigation brings up a comprehensive conceptual framework to understand different kinds of open-source business models in a unified and systematic way. By introducing a broader definition of open-source innovation, the study formulates the notion of coherent synergy: a property that determines the roles of the intellectual creation and the different stakeholders in innovation ecosystems.