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Profiting from digital innovation: Patents, copyright and performance

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  • Boudreau, Kevin J.
  • Jeppesen, Lars Bo
  • Miric, Milan

Abstract

It is yet unclear whether patents and copyright are effective at protecting digital innovations. In this paper, we investigate this question using novel product-level data on mobile apps, in which we relate the use of both patents and copyright to (i) revenue performance and (ii) IP licensing. We theorize that these relationships depend on differences in product-level characteristics and that apps differentiated by their design are more likely and effectively to be protected by patents; apps combining elements of differentiated content are more likely and effectively protected by copyright. Our results support these predictions that product characteristics shape the appropriate contingent use of patent and copyright protection in digital products. These patterns are especially relevant to industries where digital products combine elements of differentiated design and differentiated digital content.

Suggested Citation

  • Boudreau, Kevin J. & Jeppesen, Lars Bo & Miric, Milan, 2022. "Profiting from digital innovation: Patents, copyright and performance," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(5).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:respol:v:51:y:2022:i:5:s0048733322000051
    DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2022.104477
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Corvello, Vincenzo & Belas, Jaroslav & Giglio, Carlo & Iazzolino, Gianpaolo & Troise, Ciro, 2023. "The impact of business owners’ individual characteristics on patenting in the context of digital innovation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 155(PA).
    2. Ya-Feng Zhang, 2022. "Cultural and Creative Industries and Copyright at the Regional Level: The Cases of Shenzhen and Hangzhou in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-17, April.
    3. Erdem Dogukan Yilmaz & Tim Meyer & Milan Miric, 2023. "Preventing Others from Commercializing Your Innovation: Evidence from Creative Commons Licenses," Papers 2309.00536, arXiv.org.
    4. Chenglei Xu & Shuxin Zhu & Boru Yang & Bin Miao & Yi Duan, 2023. "A Review of Policy Framework Research on Promoting Sustainable Transformation of Digital Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-26, April.
    5. Reem Al Sharif & Shaligram Pokharel & Mohamed Arselene Ayari & Marwa Essam & Salwa Aqeel, 2022. "Enabling Open Innovation in Digital Startups through the Incubation Program—A Case of Qatar," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-17, May.
    6. Miric, Milan & Jeppesen, Lars Bo, 2023. "How does competition influence innovative effort within a platform-based ecosystem? Contrasting paid and unpaid contributors," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(7).

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