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Patents and quality growth in OLG economy

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  • Sorek, Gilad

Abstract

This paper shows how heterogeneity in patent ownership across generations and lifecycle saving considerations qualitatively change the conventional implications of patent policy for quality growth. We study a close Overlapping Generations economy that grows through sequential quality improvements (“quality-ladder”), to show that for plausible values of the Inter-temporal Elasticity of Substitution (a) shorter patent length enhances growth (b) under exogenous innovation size loosening patent breadth protection spurs R&D investment and quality growth and (c) the effect of loosening lagging breadth protection on R&D investment and quality growth under endogenous innovation size depends on patents length. Our findings explore a new channel through which strong patents may hinder innovation and emphasize the importance of coordination in patent-policy across the different dimensions of the patents system.

Suggested Citation

  • Sorek, Gilad, 2011. "Patents and quality growth in OLG economy," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 690-699.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jmacro:v:33:y:2011:i:4:p:690-699
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jmacro.2011.08.001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Chu, Angus C. & Leung, Charles K.Y. & Tang, Edward, 2012. "Intellectual property rights, technical progress and the volatility of economic growth," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 749-756.
    2. Gilad Sorek & Bharat Diwakar, 2017. "Weak Scale Effects in Overlapping Generations Economy," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 37(2), pages 962-969.
    3. Chandril Bhattacharyya & Dibyendu Maiti, 2023. "Informal Sector, Innovation and Growth," Working papers 334, Centre for Development Economics, Delhi School of Economics.
    4. Diwakar, Bharat & Sorek, Gilad & Stern, Michael, 2021. "Patents And Growth In Olg Economy With Physical Capital," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 25(2), pages 489-508, March.
    5. Bharat Diwakar & Gilad Sorek, 2016. "Life-Cycle Saving, Bequests, and the Role of Population in R&D-based Growth," Auburn Economics Working Paper Series auwp2016-05, Department of Economics, Auburn University.
    6. Bharat Diwakar & Gilad Sorek, 2015. "Economic Development and Stage-Dependent IPR," Auburn Economics Working Paper Series auwp2015-16, Department of Economics, Auburn University.
    7. Sorek Gilad, 2021. "Optimal Industrial Policies in a Two-Sector-R&D Economy," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 21(1), pages 73-96, January.
    8. Rudra Narayan Kushwaha & Taniya Ghosh, 2023. "The Effects of population growth on patents and economic growth dynamics," Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai Working Papers 2023-05, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, India.
    9. Yuta Nakabo & Ken Tabata, 2019. "An inverted-U effect of patents on economic growth in an overlapping generations model," Discussion Paper Series 191, School of Economics, Kwansei Gakuin University.
    10. Bharat Diwakar & Gilad Sorek, 2016. "Finite Lifetimes, Patents' Length and Breadth, and Growth," Auburn Economics Working Paper Series auwp2016-08, Department of Economics, Auburn University.
    11. Angus C. Chu & Yuichi Furukawa, 2013. "Patentability and Knowledge Spillovers of Basic R&D," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 79(4), pages 928-945, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Patents; Growth; OLG;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L16 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Industrial Organization and Macroeconomics; Macroeconomic Industrial Structure
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O34 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital

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