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on Intellectual Property Rights |
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Issue of 2014‒02‒08
six papers chosen by Giovanni Ramello Universita' del Piemonte Orientale Amedeo Avogadro |
| By: | Daron Acemoglu (Department of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology); Ufuk Akcigit (Department of Economic, University of Pennsylvania); Murat Alp Celik (Department of Economic, University of Pennsylvania) |
| Abstract: | This paper argues that openness to new, unconventional and disruptive ideas has a .first-order impact on creative innovations - innovations that break new ground in terms of knowledge creation. After presenting a motivating model focusing on the choice between incremental and radical innovation, and on how managers of different ages and human capital are sorted across different types of .firms, we provide cross-country, firm-level and patent-level evidence consistent with this pattern. Our measures of creative innovations proxy for innovation quality (average number of citations per patent) and creativity (fraction of superstar innovators, the likelihood of a very high number of citations, and generality of patents). Our main proxy for openness to disruption is manager age. This variable is based on the idea that only companies or societies open to such disruption will allow the young to rise up within the hierarchy. Using this proxy at the country, .firm or patent level, we present robust evidence that openness to disruption is associated with more creative innovations. |
| Keywords: | corporate culture, creative destruction, creativity, economic growth, entrepreneurship, individualism, innovation, openness to disruption |
| JEL: | O40 O43 O33 P10 P16 Z1 |
| Date: | 2014–02–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pen:papers:14-004&r=ipr |
| By: | MICHAEL ARNOLD (Department of Economics,University of Delaware); ERIC DARMON (CREM, University of Rennes); SYLVAIN DEJEAN (CREM, LR-MOS, University of La Rochelle); THIERRY PENARD (CREM, University of Rennes 1 & University of Delaware) |
| Abstract: | Most developed countries have tried to restrain digital piracy by strength- ening laws against copyright infringement. In 2009, France implemented the Hadopi law. Under this law individuals receive a warning the first two times they are detected illegally sharing content through peer to peer (P2P) networks. Legal action is only taken when a third violation is detected. We analyze the impact of this law on individual behavior. Our theoretical model of illegal be- havior under a graduated response law predicts that the perceived probability of detection has no impact on the decision to initially engage in digital piracy, but may reduce the intensity of illegal file sharing by those who do pirate. We test the theory using survey data from French Internet users. Our econometric results indicate that the law has no substantial deterrent effect. In addition, we find evidence that individuals who are better informed about the law and piracy alternatives substitute away from monitored P2P networks and illegally access content through unmonitored channels. |
| Keywords: | Digital Piracy, digital media, Hadopi, three-strikes law, property rights |
| JEL: | L82 O34 K42 D11 |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dlw:wpaper:14-07.&r=ipr |
| By: | Mark F. Schultz; Douglas C. Lippoldt |
| Abstract: | This paper takes stock of the available legal protection for trade secrets (undisclosed information) in a broad sample of countries. Drawing on national and international material, the paper develops and presents an indicator of the stringency of protection of trade secrets (the Trade Secrets Protection Index) and provides an assessment of variation in the available protection. The result is a finding that while the sample countries have some similarities, notably with respect to definition and scope of trade secrets, they have many more substantial dissimilarities with respect to implementation of protection for trade secrets. For example, differences are particularly pronounced in evidence gathering and discovery, protection of trade secrets during litigation, technology transfer requirements and the effectiveness of legal systems with respect to enforcement. This diversity is reflected in the wide range of scores in the Trade Secrets Protection Index. Such variation in the stringency of protection for trade secrets may influence firm-level decision-making and may have implications for some aspects of economic performance (in particular, in relation to innovation). |
| Keywords: | trade secrets, trade secrets protection index, intellectual property rights |
| JEL: | F13 O34 |
| Date: | 2014–01–30 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:traaab:162-en&r=ipr |
| By: | Bratti, Massimiliano (University of Milan); Conti, Chiara (Sapienza University of Rome) |
| Abstract: | We use small Italian regions (i.e. provinces) to investigate the causal effect of foreign immigration on innovation during 2003-2008. Using instrumental variables estimation (based on immigrants' enclaves), we find that the overall stock of immigrants did not have any effect on innovation. However, decomposing the overall effect into the contributions of low- and high-skilled migrants shows that an increase of 1 percentage point in the share of low-skilled migrants on the population reduces patent applications by about 0.2%. By contrast, the impact of high-skilled immigrants on innovation is positive, in line with the previous literature, but cannot be precisely estimated. |
| Keywords: | immigration, innovation, patent applications, regions, Italy |
| JEL: | O3 J2 |
| Date: | 2014–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp7922&r=ipr |
| By: | Mihajlo B, Jakovljevic; Nakazono, S; Ogura, S |
| Abstract: | Japanese pharmaceutical market, world’s 2nd largest in size, is traditionally renowned for its brands’ domination and weakest generics share among major established economies. An in depth observation of published evidence in Japanese/English language provided closer insight into current trends in Japanese domestic legislation and pharmaceutical market development. Recent governmental interventions have resulted in significant expansion of generic medicines market size. Substantial savings due to generic substitution of brand name drugs have already been achieved and are likely to increase in future. Nationwide population aging threatening sustainable health care funding is contributing to the relevance of generic policy success. Serious long-term challenge to the modest Japanese generic manufacturing capacities will be posed by foreign pharmaceutical industries particularly the ones based in emerging BRIC economies. |
| Keywords: | Japan, generic medicines, pharmaceuticals market, industry, health policy, patent protection, bioequivalence, attitudes, drug information, prescribing, dispensing |
| Date: | 2014–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hit:cisdps:613&r=ipr |
| By: | Nicolas Dias Gomes (Faculty opf Economics, University of Coimbra and INESC-Coimbra, Portugal); Pedro André Cerqueira (Faculty opf Economics, University of Coimbra and GEMF, Portugal); Luís Alçada Almeida (Faculty opf Economics, University of Coimbra and INESC-Coimbra, Portugal) |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the relation between levels of taxation among different types of households in the European Union and the levels of software piracy from 1996 to 2010. It extends previous works introducing a large panel data set for the European Union and it´s different regions. We estimate our model using the fixed effect, comparing results from the Euro Area and the Countries that joined EU in 2004 and 2007. Results show that levels of taxation increase the levels of software piracy losses; moreover these results depend on marital status and number of children. The weight of taxation on GDP, namely the taxes on consumption, have a positive effect on piracy losses while the impact of inflation is negative and marginal. Additional to this we also found that the relative importance of these taxes in relation to total taxation can affect this phenomenon. An increase in the weight of capital taxation would decrease software piracy while this effect was opposite when considering the relative importance of consumption taxes. |
| Keywords: | Panel data, personal taxation, software piracy. |
| JEL: | C23 H20 O52 |
| Date: | 2014–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gmf:wpaper:2014-03.&r=ipr |