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on Intellectual Property Rights |
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Issue of 2021‒05‒24
four papers chosen by Giovanni Ramello Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale “Amedeo Avogadro” |
| By: | Schankerman, Mark; Schuett, Florian |
| Abstract: | Critics claim that patent screening is ineffective, granting low-quality patents that impose unnecessary social costs. We develop an integrated framework, involving patent office examination, fees, and endogenous validity challenges in the courts, to study patent screening both theoretically and quantitatively. In our model, some inventions require the patent incentive while others do not, and asymmetric information creates a need for screening. We show that the endogeneity of challenges implies that courts, even if perfect, cannot solve the screening problem. Simulations of the model, calibrated on U.S. data, indicate that screening is highly imperfect, with about forty percent of all patents issued on inventions that do not require the patent incentive. While we find that the current patent system generates positive social value, intensifying examination would yield large welfare gains. The social value of the patent system would also be larger if complemented by antitrust limits on licensing. |
| Keywords: | courts; Innovation; licensing; litigation; patent fees; Patent quality; screening |
| JEL: | D82 K41 L24 O31 O34 O38 |
| Date: | 2020–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:15301&r= |
| By: | A. Fronzetti Colladon; F. Grippa; R. Innarella |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the association between brand importance and growth in museum visitors. We analyzed 10 years of online forum discussions and applied the Semantic Brand Score (SBS) to assess the brand importance of five European Museums. Our Naive Bayes and regression models indicate that variations in the combined dimensions of the SBS (prevalence, diversity and connectivity) are aligned with changes in museum visitors. Results suggest that, in order to attract more visitors, museum brand managers should focus on increasing the volume of online posting and the richness of information generated by users around the brand, rather than controlling for the posts' overall positivity or negativity. |
| Date: | 2021–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2105.07749&r= |
| By: | Gomes, Renato; Lozachmeur, Jean-Marie; Maestri, Lucas |
| Abstract: | We study oligopolistic competition by firms engaging in second-degree price discrimination. In line with the large empirical literature on demand estimation, our theory allows for comovements between consumers' taste for quality and propensity to switch brands. If low-type consumers are sufficiently less (more) brand loyal than high types, (i) quality provision is inefficiently low at the bottom (high at the top) of the product line, and (ii) informational rents are negative (positive) for high types, while positive (negative) for low types. We produce several testable comparative statics on pricing and quality provision, and show that more competitive markets (in the sense that consumers are less brand-loyal) may produce lower welfare. Interestingly, pure-strategy equilibria fail to exist whenever brand loyalty is sufficiently different across consumers types. Accordingly, our theory identifies a new rationale for price/quality dispersion; namely, the interplay between self-selection constraints and heterogeneity in brand loyalty. |
| Keywords: | asymmetric information; Competition; preference correlation; price discrimination; price dispersion |
| JEL: | D82 |
| Date: | 2020–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:15253&r= |
| By: | Etienne Billette de Villemeur (LEM - Lille économie management - UMR 9221 - UA - Université d'Artois - UCL - Université catholique de Lille - Université de Lille - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); Vianney Dequiedt (CERDI - Centre d'Études et de Recherches sur le Développement International - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne, FERDI - Fondation pour les Etudes et Recherches sur le Développement International); Bruno Versaevel (emlyon business school) |
| Keywords: | COVID 19 |
| Date: | 2021–04–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03217994&r= |