
Title: Property in Transition: SaaS and the New Regime of Digital Access Resumen: Este trabajo analiza la transición estructural del software como producto hacia el modelo de Software como Servicio (SaaS), examinando sus implicaciones jurídicas, económicas y sociales. Se estudian cláusulas contractuales de proveedores globales como Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Adobe Creative Cloud y AWS para mostrar cómo el acceso digital reemplaza a la propiedad, afectando la autonomía del usuario y ampliando la dependencia tecnológica. El artículo destaca el rol del lock-in, la concentración de mercado y la modificación unilateral de términos como factores que reconfiguran derechos adquiridos en restricciones operativas. Se sostiene que la infraestructura y los datos quedan bajo control de proveedores que actúan como intermediarios necesarios, generando vulnerabilidades para usuarios y Estados. El estudio propone un enfoque regulatorio orientado a soberanía digital, interoperabilidad y límites a prácticas abusivas en servicios esenciales, con especial atención al contexto iberoamericano. Abstract: This paper examines the structural shift from software as a product to the Software as a Service model (SaaS), focusing on its legal, economic and social implications. It analyzes service agreements from major providers such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Adobe Creative Cloud and AWS to show how digital access replaces ownership, increasing dependency and reducing user autonomy. The article highlights unilateral changes, technological lock-in and market concentration as mechanisms that weaken previously secured user rights and consolidate corporate control over infrastructure and data. SaaS is framed as a governance system built on continuous contractual compliance rather than stable product rights. The paper calls for regulatory strategies promoting digital sovereignty, interoperability and fair contractual practices, particularly for essential services and sectors in Latin America and Spain. Nota: Versión actualizada en repositorio para preservación y accesibilidad digital. El contenido intelectual permanece inalterado. Note: Version updated in repository for preservation and digital accessibility. Original intellectual content remains unchanged. Official reference version:Zenodo DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17278111Parallel version available:SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5687822 - DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5687822Preservation copy at the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/zenodo.17278111
Contractual asymmetry, Digital sovereignty, Protección del consumidor, Intellectual property law, Derecho de la propiedad intelectual, Asimetría contractual, Digital ownership, Propiedad digital, Technological lock-in, Software as a Service (SaaS)
Contractual asymmetry, Digital sovereignty, Protección del consumidor, Intellectual property law, Derecho de la propiedad intelectual, Asimetría contractual, Digital ownership, Propiedad digital, Technological lock-in, Software as a Service (SaaS)
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