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Bundle-of-Sticks Notions in Legal and Economic Scholarship

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  • Eric R. Claeys

Abstract

The phrase "bundle of rights" does not serve as an accurate conceptual definition of property. Nor has that phrase provided a helpful metaphor as used in Ronald Coase's article "The Problem of Social Cost" (1960) and subsequent legal and economic scholarship. Coase's usage portrays property rights as a collection of individualized permissions to use an asset, when in sound conceptual usage "property" signifies a domain of authority to decide how to use the asset. The "bundle" metaphor may be understood to state that an owner has a right to deploy his property in any specific manner fairly implied by his general rights of ownership. Although this metaphorical usage is helpful, it remains parasitic on a sound conceptual definition of property. Property is best conceived of as a right securing a normative interest in determining exclusively the use of an asset external to the person of the owner.

Suggested Citation

  • Eric R. Claeys, 2011. "Bundle-of-Sticks Notions in Legal and Economic Scholarship," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 8(3), pages 205-214, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:ejw:journl:v:8:y:2011:i:3:p:205-214
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. R. H. Coase, 2013. "The Problem of Social Cost," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 56(4), pages 837-877.
    2. Adam Mossoff, 2011. "The False Promise of the Right to Exclude," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 8(3), pages 255-264, September.
    3. Jain, Satish (ed.), 2010. "Law and Economics," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198067733, Decembrie.
    4. Daniel B. Klein & John Robinson, 2011. "Property: A Bundle of Rights? Prologue to the Property Symposium," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 8(3), pages 193-204, September.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Raina, Ajay & Palaniswami, M., 2021. "The ownership challenge in the Internet of things world," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Property; bundle of rights; exclusion; exclusivity; right to exclude; legal realism; law and economics; Wesley Hohfeld; Richard Posner; Harold Demsetz; Armen Alchian; Thomas Merrill; Henry Smith; private law theory; conceptual philosophy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A1 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics
    • K00 - Law and Economics - - General - - - General (including Data Sources and Description)
    • K1 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law

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