The passages discuss relationships between business interests and university research
Passage A
Central Topic - researchers at universities sharing research vs. hiding it (to profit from) Purpose - Old vs. New Main Point- It used to be that discoveries made at universities were eagerly shared with the rest of the scientific community, but increasingly market forces are creating situations where these discoveries are buried, patented, and profited off of.
Passage B
Central Topic- the fruits of science: public goods or private commodities? Purpose - Old vs. New Main Point - It used to be that scientific discoveries were treated as public goods that couldn't and shouldn't be patented, but scientific discoveries in the "information economy" have gotten so lucrative and exploitable that the lines are blurrier.
Other Commentary
Since the passages have very similar topics and purposes, we might ask ourselves, "How were they different?"
It seems like Passage A had a slightly narrower scope targeted at universities, and it had a more discernibly negative tone about this new trend.