The Protection of Innovations
Abstract
This paper proposes a model where firms invest in secrecy to limit technological spillovers accruing to their competitors, in addition to investing in cost-reducing R&D. The main result of the paper is that increases in spillovers increase secrecy, suggesting that legal and strategic protection are substitutes. Higher product differentiation is associated with higher levels of innovation and lower levels of secrecy. An increase in the size of the market, a reduction in the cost of secrecy,or a reduction in the cost of R&D, all lead to an increase in secrecy. As for the effect of spillovers on effective cost reduction, it is positive when products are sufficiently differentiated, and has an inverted-U shape with low product differentiation. Compared to price competition, quantity competition yield higher levels of R&D, secrecy and effective cost reduction.Download Info
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Paper provided by University of Ottawa, Department of Economics in its series Working Papers with number 0402E.Length: 26 pages
Date of creation: 2004
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:ott:wpaper:0402e
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Related research
Keywords: Secrecy; Protection; Innovation; Technology; Spillovers; R&D; Appropriability;Other versions of this item:
- Gamal Atallah, 2004. "The Protection of Innovations," CIRANO Working Papers 2004s-02, CIRANO.
- L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
- O31 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Technological Change; Research and Development; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
- O32 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Technological Change; Research and Development; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
- O34 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Technological Change; Research and Development; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property Rights
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Citations
Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.Cited by:
- Chrysovalantou Milliou, 2009.
"Endogenous protection of R&D investments,"
Canadian Journal of Economics,
Canadian Economics Association, vol. 42(1), pages 184-205, February.
- Chrysovalantou Milliou, 2006. "Endogenous Protection Of R&D Investments," Economics Working Papers we066325, Universidad Carlos III, Departamento de Economía.
- Olena Senyuta & Kresimir Zigic, 2012. "Managing Spillovers: An Endogenous Sunk Cost Approach," CERGE-EI Working Papers wp472, The Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education - Economic Institute, Prague.
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