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Counterfeiting, enforcement and social welfare

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  • Ming-Fang Tsai
  • Jiunn-Rong Chiou

Abstract

This paper uses a vertical product differentiation model to discuss the influences caused by counterfeiting on prices and outputs of original products, consumer surplus and social welfare. We also explore the impact of the government’s enforcement on counterfeiting and social welfare. We find that as counterfeiting may occur, sales of the original product could either increase or decrease. The welfare effects of government enforcement are shown as follows. First, a strict enforcement on counterfeiting by government may either increase or decrease welfare. Second, when counterfeiting emerges, welfare under a stricter enforcement is not necessarily larger than that without enforcement. Last, a strict enough enforcement can still improve welfare even if there is a relatively high enforcement cost. Copyright Springer-Verlag 2012

Suggested Citation

  • Ming-Fang Tsai & Jiunn-Rong Chiou, 2012. "Counterfeiting, enforcement and social welfare," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 107(1), pages 1-21, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jeczfn:v:107:y:2012:i:1:p:1-21
    DOI: 10.1007/s00712-011-0249-1
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    Cited by:

    1. Jonas Häckner & Astri Muren, 2015. "Counterfeiting and Negative Consumption Externalities – A Closer Look," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 337-350, December.
    2. Luis Aguiar & Jörg Claussen & Christian Peukert, 2018. "Catch Me If You Can: Effectiveness and Consequences of Online Copyright Enforcement," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 29(3), pages 656-678, September.
    3. Nikolay Zenkevich & Margarita Gladkova, 2016. "Price Competition on the Market of Counterfeiting Software," International Game Theory Review (IGTR), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 18(02), pages 1-10, June.
    4. Can Sun & Yonghua Ji & Xianjun Geng, 2023. "Which Enemy to Dance with? A New Role of Software Piracy in Influencing Antipiracy Strategies," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 34(4), pages 1711-1727, December.
    5. Waters, James, 2015. "Welfare implications of piracy with dynamic pricing and heterogeneous consumers," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 240(3), pages 904-911.
    6. Tsai, Ming-Fang & Chiou, Jiunn-Rong & Lin, Chun-Hung A., 2012. "A model of counterfeiting: A duopoly approach," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 24(4), pages 283-291.
    7. Keisuke Hattori & Keisaku Higashida, 2023. "Who should be regulated: Genuine producers or third parties?," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 138(3), pages 249-286, April.
    8. Brishti Guha, 2017. "Moral hazard, Bertrand competition and natural monopoly," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 121(2), pages 153-171, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Counterfeit; Enforcement; Vertical differentiation; Network externality; K42; L13;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets

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