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Per unit vs. ad valorem royalties under asymmetric information

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  • Heywood, John S.
  • Li, Jianpei
  • Ye, Guangliang

Abstract

We study an inside patent holder's optimal licensing policy when it has imperfect information about the value of the patent to its rival. The patent holder can choose any two-part licensing fee with either per unit or ad valorem royalties. We demonstrate that the equilibrium will be either a fully separating contract with different per unit royalty rates, or a contract with a single ad valorem royalty that excludes a high cost rival. Fixed fees will not be used. The presence of asymmetric information uniquely drives the per unit royalties that otherwise would not be adopted. Per unit royalties always generate higher social welfare than ad valorem royalties.

Suggested Citation

  • Heywood, John S. & Li, Jianpei & Ye, Guangliang, 2014. "Per unit vs. ad valorem royalties under asymmetric information," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 38-46.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:indorg:v:37:y:2014:i:c:p:38-46
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijindorg.2014.07.005
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    Cited by:

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    4. Cuihong Fan & Byoung Heon Jun & Elmar G. Wolfstetter, 2016. "Optimal Licensing of Non-Drastic and (Super-)Drastic Innovations: The Case of the Inside Patent Holder," Discussion Paper Series 1610, Institute of Economic Research, Korea University.
    5. Arman Yalvac Aksoy & Catherine Beaudry, 2021. "How are companies paying for university research licenses? Empirical evidence from university-firm technology transfer," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 46(6), pages 2051-2121, December.
    6. Fan, Cuihong & Jun, Byoung Heon & Wolfstetter, Elmar G., 2015. "Licensing Innovations: The Case of the Inside Patent Holder," Discussion Paper Series of SFB/TR 15 Governance and the Efficiency of Economic Systems 510, Free University of Berlin, Humboldt University of Berlin, University of Bonn, University of Mannheim, University of Munich.
    7. Hao Xu & Deqing Tan, 2023. "Optimal Abatement Technology Licensing in a Dynamic Transboundary Pollution Game: Fixed Fee Versus Royalty," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 61(3), pages 905-935, March.
    8. Liu Liu & Ying Yuan & Xiaoya Wang & Hongfu Huang, 2022. "Strategic Licensing of Green Technologies to a Brown Rival: A Game Theoretical Analysis," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(23), pages 1-21, November.
    9. Cheng-Tai Wu & Cheng-Hau Peng & Tsung-Sheng Tsai, 2021. "Signaling in Technology Licensing with a Downstream Oligopoly," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 58(4), pages 531-559, June.
    10. Yang, Le & Huang, Zining, 2023. "Quality-improving licensing of an outside innovator in a mixed Cournot duopoly," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    11. Fan, Cuihong & Jun, Byoung Heon & Wolfstetter, Elmar G., 2018. "Optimal licensing of technology in the face of (asymmetric) competition," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 32-53.
    12. Junghee Lee & Vish Krishnan & Hyoduk Shin, 2020. "Business Models for Technology-Intensive Supply Chains," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 66(5), pages 2120-2139, May.
    13. John S. Heywood & Lu Xu & Guangliang Ye, 2019. "How does a public innovator license a foreign rival?," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(1), pages 78-95, March.
    14. Colombo, Stefano & Filippini, Luigi, 2014. "Licensing and innovation: A comment," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 125(3), pages 353-356.
    15. Cuihong Fan & Byoung Heon Jun & Elmar G. Wolfstetter, 2018. "Optimal licensing under incomplete information: the case of the inside patent holder," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 66(4), pages 979-1005, December.
    16. Yan, Qingyou & Yang, Le, 2018. "Optimal licensing schemes for a mixed ownership firm when facing uncertain R&D outcomes and technology spillover," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 550-572.
    17. John Heywood & Zheng Wang, 2015. "How to license a transport innovation," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 55(2), pages 485-500, December.
    18. Aika Monden & Katsuyoshi Takashima & Yusuke Zennyo, 2021. "Revenue‐Sharing Contracts under Demand Uncertainty in Shopping Center," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 49(2), pages 556-573, June.
    19. Stefano Colombo & Luigi Filippini, 2016. "Revenue royalties," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 118(1), pages 47-76, May.
    20. Ma, Siyu & Sen, Debapriya & Tauman, Yair, 2022. "Optimal patent licensing: from three to two part tariffs," MPRA Paper 111624, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    21. Gelves, Juan Alejandro & Heywood, John S., 2016. "How does a mixed ownership firm license a patent?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 278-284.
    22. Marta Montinaro & Rupayan Pal & Marcella Scrimitore, 2020. "Per Unit and Ad Valorem Royalties in a Patent Licensing Game," Working Papers 2020.14, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    23. Fan, Cuihong & Jun, Byoung Heon & Wolfstetter, Elmar G., 2018. "Per unit vs. ad valorem royalty licensing," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 170(C), pages 71-75.
    24. Montinaro, Marta & Scrimitore, Marcella, 2019. "Per unit and ad valorem royalties in a patent licensing game," MPRA Paper 96642, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Patent licensing; Insider; Asymmetric information; Per unit royalty; Ad valorem royalty;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • D44 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Auctions
    • D45 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Rationing; Licensing

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