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Sleeping Patents And Compulsory Licensing: An Options Analysis

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  • Weeds, Helen

Abstract

Why should a firm wish to create a new technology that it will leave unexploited for some time? Sleeping patents have long been perceived as anticompetitive devices, used by dominant firms to block entry into their market. In a real options framework with both economic and technological uncertainty, we show that a sleeping patent may arise as the result of optimal forward-looking behavior, in the absence of any anticompetitive motive. We also consider the effect of possible measures to enforce the development of sleeping patents and find that these are likely to harm incentives for firms to engage in research.

Suggested Citation

  • Weeds, Helen, 1999. "Sleeping Patents And Compulsory Licensing: An Options Analysis," Economic Research Papers 269348, University of Warwick - Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:uwarer:269348
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.269348
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Roberts, Kevin & Weitzman, Martin L, 1981. "Funding Criteria for Research, Development, and Exploration Projects," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 49(5), pages 1261-1288, September.
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    5. Robert McDonald & Daniel Siegel, 1986. "The Value of Waiting to Invest," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 101(4), pages 707-727.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jou, Jyh-Bang, 2018. "R&D investment and patent renewal decisions," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 144-154.
    2. Irawan, Denny & Okimoto, Tatsuyoshi, 2021. "Overinvestment and macroeconomic uncertainty: Evidence from renewable and non-renewable resource firms," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    3. Tarola, Ornella, 2013. "Acquisition vsus de novo entry: A theoretical appraisal," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(2), pages 179-188.
    4. Flavia Cortelezzi & Pierpaolo Giannoccolo & Giovanni Villani, 2011. "Strategic Urban Development Under Uncertainty," The IUP Journal of Financial Economics, IUP Publications, vol. 0(4), pages 7-27, December.
    5. Torrisi, Salvatore & Gambardella, Alfonso & Giuri, Paola & Harhoff, Dietmar & Hoisl, Karin & Mariani, Myriam, 2016. "Used, blocking and sleeping patents: Empirical evidence from a large-scale inventor survey," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(7), pages 1374-1385.
    6. Chi Leung & Yue Kwok, 2011. "Real options game analysis of sleeping patents," Decisions in Economics and Finance, Springer;Associazione per la Matematica, vol. 34(1), pages 41-65, May.
    7. Flavia Cortelezzi & Giovanni Villani, 2007. "Strategic Technology Adoption and Market Dynamics as Option Games," Quaderni DSEMS 14-2007, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche, Matematiche e Statistiche, Universita' di Foggia.
    8. Yessica González Londono & Mauricio Zuluaga Carmona & Cecilia Maya Ochoa, 2012. "Enfoque de opciones reales para la valoración financiera de marcas," Revista Ad-Minister, Universidad EAFIT, October.
    9. Guang-Jun Deng & Yong Zeng, 2011. "R&D Investment Decision On Emerging Technology," International Journal of Information Technology & Decision Making (IJITDM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 10(03), pages 451-477.

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